New systems in organic pig production

In Denmark, the organic pig production is today very scarce and needs to be developed in order to fulfil the expected potential. There is a need to develop new systems in which the pig production is more integrated into land use in order to increase the organic pig production and to make the production economical feasible.

In production of organic pigs today, the sows are outdoors on pasture whereas the growing pigs are indoors with access to an outdoor run of limited size. This project focuses on two alternatives that either have mobile huts, which can be moved in an appropriate way in the crop rotation, or decentralized, strategically positioned fixed units.

The project has three work packages (WP). The first WP focuses on grazing strategies for sows and growing pigs. Alternatives to ringing of sows will be proposed in the effort to maintain sward quality, and appropriate strategies of combined grazing and barn feeding for growing pigs will be investigated.

The second WP focuses on the environmental impact of different grazing regimes. The nutrient load of the grazing areas will be determined (N, P and K) in experiments with sows and growing pigs, and the distribution between different N-losses will be estimated. Different pig production systems will be assessed in relation to nutrient losses.

The third WP includes an assessment of different pig production systems within a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework including economic considerations. LCA indicators will be selected and data will be collected from organic farms and experimental units. The systems will be assessed through modelling.

Publications

Project title
II.9 Resource use, environmental impact and economy in organic pig production systems (PIGSYS)

Project leader
John E. Hermansen, Head of research unit
Danish Institute for Agricultural Sciences, Dept. of Agricultural Systems
Postboks 50, DK-8830 Tjele
Phone: +45 89 99 12 36, Fax: +45 89 99 12 00
E-mail: john.hermansen@agrsci.dk

Project participants
Vivi Aarestrup Larsen, Jørgen Eriksen, Merete Studnitz, Bent Hindrup Andersen, DIAS
Niels Tvedegaard, Danish Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Economics
Bjarne Pedersen, The National Committee for Pig Breeding, Health and Production