Concept for sustainable pig farming
The food retail sector is changing its meat range more and more towards animal welfare. In the beef and pork sectors as well as in the poultry sector, the products are to be gradually converted to higher animal welfare levels. A conversion to housing type 3 requires a conversion or new construction of stables. And this is exactly why the Tönnies group of companies has now published a conversion manual together with the expert Rudi Wiedmann.
The first partners in the food retail sector have announced that they will be significantly expanding the scope in husbandry levels 3 and 4, which were previously only marketed in the niche. During this time, the Rheda-Wiedenbrücker food company Tönnies brought many farmers together to exchange experiences and further developed the joint stable construction solutions. Rudi Wiedmann has also been an expert in the construction of outdoor climate stalls for many years. A joint handbook was created from the bundled experience, which is now available online. "It is intended as a reference work and gives good, concrete suggestions," explains Dr. Wilhelm Jaeger, responsible for the agricultural department at Tönnies. "So far, the stable construction solutions that have already been implemented on the farms are diverse, each farmer brings his own ideas."
The manual "Pigsty of the Future - Concepts for Sustainable Pig Husbandry" shows various conversion or new construction solutions. The challenges and solutions are explained using practical examples and numerous pictures and graphics. This concerns both animal welfare requirements, but also requirements in the areas of the environment, emission protection, sustainability, economy and marketing. "We share our experience with this elaboration and are sure that we can offer almost every interested farmer valuable assistance with the possible conversion or new construction of the stables," adds Franziska Budde from the agricultural department at Tönnies.
The company sees the announcement by the food retail trade to expand husbandry forms 3 and 4 as a clear commitment to agricultural livestock husbandry in Germany, but at the same time as a signal to politicians to create the necessary framework now. "The implementation of the Borchert Commission's plans is imperative This is a prerequisite for realizing more animal welfare on the farm, ”says Dr. Wilhelm Jaeger. The prerequisites for the renovation of the stables must now be created: Criteria and funding must be in place, and the renovation of the stables must also be unbureaucratic. It is important to adapt the building and environmental law in such a way that the "stable construction brake" is released. "For companies that cannot open their stables for various reasons, there must also be opportunities for the recognition of further development of animal welfare measures," adds Jaeger. Greater animal welfare through higher expenditure in the stables should also have an impact on the income of the farms.
The Tönnies company has been running programs for all types of husbandry together with customers in the food retail sector for many years. "We guarantee all farmers of all types of husbandry a future perspective," says Clemens Tönnies, managing partner.
All information about the stable construction manual is available at http://stallbau.toennies.de
