Conflict of aims between animal welfare and environmental protection: new concepts for barns could be solution

Transcription

1 Country report Poland Pig Farming Management of nutrients and improving animal welfare Conflict of aims between animal welfare and environmental protection: new concepts for barns could be solution Trends in technology: Determination of nutrient content in focus of interest DLG-Agrifuture Insights/September 2017

2 Country Report for Poland - Pig farming Focus on nutrient management, solving conflict of interests between animal welfare and the environment, as well as on nutritional analysis of manure In farm nutrient management, the pig farmers surveyed in Poland are banking on the application of manure close to the ground and leasing of land. The majority of pig farmers is of the opinion that the conflict of interests between animal welfare and environmental protection can be solved with new sty concepts. Just under one-third of the farmers consider the animal-friendly sties to be realisable, which lies above the average in a comparison between countries. With regard to the technology trends, the focus of interest is on determination of nutrients in manure. The reduction of emissions and the improvement of nutrient management are topics for pig farmers throughout Europe. Pig farmers surveyed in Poland consider exhaust air purification to be a suitable method for reducing emissions. In addition, farmers view the application of manure close to the ground as an efficient means of avoiding emissions and nutrient losses. Only one-third of the pig farmers surveyed see the conclusion of manure purchase agreements as a suitable tool for nutrient management, while over half of the participants consider this variant to be unsuitable. With an average of 26 percent, the proportion of leased land of the surveyed farmers is low and therefore the demand for a contractual purchase of manure is low. Pig farmers see leasing of additional land as significantly more suitable for applying nutrients from pig farming. For the small-structured Polish operational structure leads to a sustained high level of structural change, which enables new leases at competitive prices. The requirements for greater animal welfare and a reduction of emissions results in a conflict of interests for pig farmers that makes it more difficult to reach decisions on the further development of livestock management. For more animal welfare in the sties for example, with outdoor areas DLG-Agrifuture Insights/September

3 for the pigs sometimes leads to higher emissions. However, approximately two-thirds of the pig farmers surveyed in Poland are of the opinion that the conflict of interests can be solved with new sty concepts. With just under one-third, in a comparison of countries an above average number of pig farmers in Poland are of the opinion that animal-friendly sties can be a realistic alternative to conventional sty systems. This evaluation is surprising against the background of the worsening disease situation cause by the African swine fever. In particular, the example of pig farming in Poland shows due to the outbreak of African swine fever that, in addition to animal welfare and environmental protection, disease prevention must also be taken into account in the discussion on the future of pig farming. The pig producers surveyed in Poland evaluate the determination of the nutrient content of manure as an important technological trend. For efficient fertilisation with farm manure requires an exact knowledge of the nutrient contents in the manure. In addition, approval processes for animalfriendly sties also play an important role in the evaluation of the Polish pig farmers. For the official systematic approval of husbandry systems could be a component in the debate on how farmers can improve husbandry systems. Furthermore, an approval can support the decision on the further development of farm management methods. DLG-Agrifuture Insights/September

4 To achieve greater animal welfare, over 70 percent of the pig farmers in Poland are banking on strengthening genetic characteristics of health and vitality in their pigs. And pig farmers see the provision of more space and manipulable materials as practicable for achieving increased animal welfare in pig farming. Even if stimulation with outdoor climate as part of animal-friendly sties is named as an important contribution to greater animal welfare, only 30 percent of the pig farmers surveyed consider outdoor areas for the animals to be an effective tool. For the disease situation in Poland requires particular caution in order not to carry the African swine fever into stocks. DLG-Agrifuture Insights/September

5 Foregoing of castration and of shortening of tails only convinces approx. one in five of the surveyed pig farmers when the question of how to achieve increased animal welfare is concerned. For both approaches harbour risks for animal welfare, like ranking fights among boars and the resulting injuries. Pig farmers in Poland consider management methods as not sufficiently developed to forego castration and shortening of tails. DLG-Agrifuture Insights/September

6 Further information and contact DLG e.v. Dr. Achim Schaffner Tel.: DLG e.v. Competence Center Agriculture Eschborner Landstr Frankfurt / Main Tel.: Fax.: afi@dlg.org; DLG-Agrifuture Insights/September