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Agro Plus 2006, LLC: grow pigs without antibiotics is real

It has become an axiom that three cornerstones of pigbreeding are genetics, feed and housing. But the practice states that it’s impossible to reach the success without correct management. The director of Agro Plus 2006, LLC Thomas Brunner treated the business in a complex way, striving the global aim — to produce a quality product without using antibiotics in pig growing. Now his approach is not only known in Europe as «System Tymoshivka», but also has followers. It’s pleasant to recognize that there are things to learn in Ukraine, too.

According to the surveys, the one third of Ukrainians tends to take abroad. And you, Thomas, vice versa, changed Austria for Ukraine. How could it happen, that our country became your second motherland?

I live in Ukraine more than ten years. I moved here because of work: I worked as a marketing director for European company in home care sphere. Afterwards my father and brother joined me to apply crop growing. In 2011 the question about their business expansion appeared and we decided to develop animal breeding. They stopped on pig breeding and wanted me to chair this branch of the company. The decision wasn’t easy, as in that very moment I was offered a better post in Europe. But I risked and stayed working in agricultural sector in Ukraine.

How did the adaptation to the Ukrainian conditions pass off?

It is easy to live with Ukrainians, they are frank. But there are some things, I’d like to change as every other citizen of the country. There is a hope, that the new regime will overcome the corruption and harmonize the legislation to live and develop the business will be easier.

Present, please, your farm: what do you start with and what do you achieve?

As far back as 2006 we bought a destroyed farm unit, that in soviet times belonged to kolkhoz «Bolshevik» and was one of the biggest in region, there were 15 thous of finishing pigs. In 1990s the farm was in wane: the buildings weeded and fell to ruins. In 2011, when the decision to develop pig breeding was taken, we reconstructed the first buildings and brought 150 sows from Austria. When we made sure that everything was good and we had benefits, then we decided to increase the sow heard to 360 heads. In the end on this year we’ll sum up the results and if the results are positive we’re going to increase the livestock twice, to 700 heads. Generally our complex is optimized for 1300 sows. We modernize it and fill with animals gradually, improving the growing system. Our approach is known and has already have followers in Europe (35 farms in Switzerland work according to it)/ it was called «System «Tymoshivka». Its main aim is to arrange the production without using antibiotics in pig growing. We are not against antibiotics, but we are for its therapeutic usage, but not for preventive measures.

Thomas, why do you put the pig production without antibiotics as a main aim?

People die because of resistance. According to statistics 25 thousand passed away in Europe in 2012 (as much as in accidents). People understood that’s a serious problem, and antibiotic usage in animal farming, particularly in pig breeding is one of its reasons. The worst thing is that many farms can’t breed pigs without antibiotics (preventive usage).

Besides, antibiotic usage is often an outcome treatment, but not the cause liquidation. And if pigs are ill, problems with gastro-intestinal tract are «guilty» in many cases, but not the pathogens. It needs not use antibiotics, but to look ahead and not to allow the failure. The «System «Tymoshivka» proves that pork can be produced without antibiotic usage. The results speak for themselves: healthy pigs, less expenses, better product quality!

  1. What is the «System «Tymoshivka»? What are the principles of its work?
  2. One of priorities of «System «Tymoshivka» is pig feeding. According to which criteria the feed is selected? What feeding methods are used?
  3. What’s the peculiarity of the farm management?
  4. How do the animal welfare influence the final results, according to Agro Plus 2006 owners’ mind?

You can find answers for these and other questions in the full version of the interview in the magazine «Profitable Pig Production», № 3 (21) 2014.

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