Pig industry to benefit from embracing enzyme technology: Danisco Animal Nutrition

Pig producers will continue to fall short of reaching their target performance and economic potential unless they fully harness the benefits offered by feed enzymes, according to Danisco Animal Nutrition, who pioneered their development and use in pig and poultry feeds.

“The contribution that enzymes can make at all stages of pig production, from weaners through to finishers, has been consistently demonstrated, yet some feed manufacturers and pig producers have still been relatively slow to adopt this proven technology,” comments Dr Gary Partridge, the company’s Global Technical Director.

“However, with cereal prices at new highs, there is great pressure on the industry to utilise ingredients more efficiently and to get more energy out of pig rations. It is therefore becoming increasingly important for feed manufacturers and pig producers to appraise their feed strategy and fully harness the benefits of enzyme technology.

“Diets for young pigs have historically been the primary focus for enzyme use, but their introduction into grower-finisher diets has also been gathering pace in recent years. At a time when it is becoming ever more important to target greater performance and consistency, we believe that enzymes can make a significant contribution by reducing variability, increasing throughput and lowering production costs.”

In practical feed formulations the addition of a specific xylanase (Porzyme® Danisco Animal Nutrition) has been proven to increase nutrient availability and reduce variability in the feeding value of key cereal grains. The result is more consistent diet performance, increased daily gain, improved feed efficiency and more uniform pigs. This combination of benefits offers feed manufacturers and pig producers the option of either maintaining the same level of performance but reducing feed costs by adjusting dietary nutrient specifications, or of increasing overall pig performance by adding Porzyme to an existing formulation.

Danisco Animal Nutrition’s new Porcheck™ service further supports the proven benefits of Porzyme by quantifying the enhanced nutritional value of diets based on wheat, rye, triticale or barley and, where relevant, grain by-products. The service generates information which enables pig diets to be accurately reformulated, providing the opportunity to reduce feed costs by approximately €2.50/tonne, whilst also minimising variability in performance which can otherwise cost producers around €1.50 per pig in reduced net margin.

Dr Partridge adds: “In the past, some producers have regarded enzyme inclusion for grower/finisher pigs as being expensive relative to the perceived benefits, but with raw material prices increasing, more competitive enzyme pricing and flexible dosing of enzyme products now possible the actual cost of inclusion is very advantageous, generating greater returns on investment. In addition, enzymes can offer significant additional benefits, including drier manure, reduced faecal volume and lower levels of nitrogen excretion, all of which are becoming increasingly important considerations for the pig industry throughout the world.”