Aragon triumphs in the 30th edition of the Porc d’Or Awards, followed by Catalonia and Galicia

The 30th anniversary of the Capa Blanca Porc d’Or Awards was held in Lleida on October 20, 2023 with around 1,000 attendees.

The new One Health Award went to Castilla y León, more specifically to the province of Segovia.

Castilla y León also took another 6 statuettes and the rest went to Navarra and La Rioja, which took 2 each community. Castilla-La Mancha closed the list with an award for the province of Albacete.

On October 20, the Llotja Congress Center in Lleida hosted the celebration of the 30th edition of the Porc d’Or awards, organized by the Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA).

It was a very special gala full of news during which the work of the most cutting-edge Spanish pig farms was recognized, under the watchful eye of more than 1,000 professionals from the sector who attended the event. The gala was also broadcast on YouTube and Instagram.

An edition that, in addition to presenting a new design in its statuettes, included several new awards and changes in other notable ones. On the one hand, the organization has created the Porc d’Or Award for Lactation Management whose objective is to recognize, among reproductively efficient farms, those that stand out for a high survival rate of piglets during lactation and good breeding practices. management in maternity wards. On the other hand, Ceva Animal Health has designed the One Health Special Award with the aim of promoting and giving voice to actions and projects that promote the comprehensive One Health approach in pig farms. And, finally, the Award from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, which is now known as the MAPA Award for Sustainability, and is awarded to a farm that stands out above the rest in Animal Health and Welfare and respect for the Environment.

38 of the 43 Porc d’Or Awards were distributed among four autonomous communities

A total of 37 farms from seven autonomous communities have received the 43 awards (40 general and three special awards) this year, in a gala full of emotion and nerves.

Aragón has become the most awarded community, with a total of 13 statuettes (6 for the province of Zaragoza, another 6 for Huesca and 1 for Teruel): 4 gold (including 1 for the new award for lactation management), 3 silver and 5 bronze. In addition, Huesca received the MAPA Porc d’Or Award for Sustainability, more specifically to the Laguarres-Agropecuaria del Isábena farm, owned by Piensos Mazana, which stands out for its excellent facilities, biosafety measures, and optimal well-being conditions. and animal health and the improvements made in environmental matters.

The autonomous communities of Galicia followed, with a total of 9 statuettes (7 for the province of Ourense and 2 for A Coruña): 4 gold (2 for the lactation management award), 1 silver and 4 bronze; and Catalonia, also with 9 awards (8 for Barcelona and 1 for the province of Girona): 2 gold, 5 silver and 1 bronze, in addition to the Porc d’Or with Diamond, which went to Granja Solallong, by Joaquim Rovira Baucells, located in Sora (Barcelona). Its brilliant productive data maintained over time, its census balance, the excellent renovation and expansion of its facilities throughout these years, the meticulous management of the animals and the professionalism and dedication of its human team made Granja Solallong will win the highest award.

Castilla y León won 7 awards (2 for Burgos, 2 for Segovia, 2 for the province of Zamora and 1 for Soria): 4 gold (1 for the award for lactation management), 2 silver and the Special One Health Award from Ceva Animal Health which went to the Josvi Tejares farm, from SAT Hermanos Chico, located in Tejares de Fuentidueña (Segovia). From the Josvi Tejares farm, the jury highlights the excellent work implemented consistently and actively, a wide set of prevention measures that has allowed them to maintain a high health status throughout their 25 years of history as well as a prudent use of antibiotics in 2022; without forgetting the entrepreneurial mentality of the project leaders in the evaluated areas of management, biosafety, prevention, well-being and training to obtain this new award.

For their part, Navarra and La Rioja took 2 statuettes for each community, 2 gold in the case of Navarra while 1 silver and 1 bronze went to La Rioja. The list of winners closed with Castilla-La Mancha, which took a bronze award for the province of Albacete.

Organized by IRTA with the support of Ceva and Interporc

The Porc d’Or awards, annual and state-wide, are based on the BDporc, the Pig Reference Data Bank, a tool managed by the IRTA to provide reference information to pig production companies as an element of aid. in making decisions.

Organized by IRTA, these awards for excellence in pig production have Ceva Salud Animal as the main partner and the Interprofessional of the White Coated Pig (Interporc), which has accompanied the Porc d’Or since its inception.
Likewise, this year the Awards have had a small list of Premium Sponsors who stand out for their commitment and support to the Porc d’Or Awards practically since their origins: Farm Faes, IFR Group, OPP Group, Rotecna and Banasegur.

Awards that are awarded by a jury made up of prestigious personalities in the industry, livestock research and administration.

During these 30 years, the awards have recognized the work, professionalism, effort and extraordinary essential work of hundreds of companies and pig farms throughout Spain. A work that is evident with the increase in the average farm size, which has gone from 102 sows in 1990 to 1,532, as well as in numerical productivity, which has evolved from 19 piglets per sow per year in 1990 to almost 30 currently weaned piglets.