The 31st anniversary of the Porc d’Or Awards for Capa Blanca was celebrated in Zaragoza on 29 November 2024 with around 1,000 attendees.
A gala in which Galicia, with 13 statuettes, became the community with the most awards; followed by Catalonia, with 12 awards, and Aragon, with 8.
The Zaragoza Auditorium hosted the 31st edition of the Porc d’Or Awards for Capa Blanca on 29 November, under the watchful eyes of approximately 1,000 industry professionals who attended the awards ceremony.
An event that began with the reception of the attendees in the Sala Hipóstila, enlivened with live music and a welcome cocktail. The Sala Mozart witnessed the most special night for the Spanish white-coated pig sector with the Original SoundTrack Orchestra livening up a gala hosted by Carolina González and Enrique Checa, presenters of Aragón TV.
This year, the gala was attended and supported, also by the Spanish white-coated pig sector, by Javier Rincón Gimeno, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food of the Government of Aragon; Òscar Ordeig, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Generalitat de Catalunya; Fernando Beltrán, Government delegate in Aragon; Rosa Cubel, Secretary of Food of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food; Rosa Altisent, General Director of Agriculture and Livestock of the Generalitat de Catalunya; Manuel García, President of the Interprofessional Association of White-Coated Pigs (INTERPORC); Rafael Pedrazuela, Director of the Swine Business Unit of CEVA Animal Health; and Josep Usall, General Director of IRTA.
Rosa Cubel, awarded with special recognition from IRTA
Josep Usall was in charge of presenting, on behalf of IRTA and the organization, a very special recognition to Rosa Cubel who, for years, has contributed with her commitment to promoting BDporc and the Porc d’Or Awards.
Usall recalled that “we are celebrating 31 years together in a powerful and innovative sector, and it is an honour to be with you for another year. This gala is yours, the producers’ and the sector’s. Today, IRTA is awarding its Special Prize to a person who has dedicated his life to transforming the sector and promoting these awards. This year, the recognition is for Rosa Cubel, a key figure whose work has long deserved this tribute.”
Cubel, deeply moved by the tribute, thanked the IRTA team for the award and for their affection and all the learning she has taken away after 13 years at the entity. Cubel joined IRTA as Director of Innovation and Technology Transfer in 2011 and, from 2017 to 2024, she was Director of Institutional Relations and Technology Transfer. Recently, she was appointed Secretary of Food of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food.
Galicia leads the 2024 Porc d’Or Awards in a gala marked by pork excellence
Galicia swept the 2024 edition of the Porc d’Or Awards with a total of 13 statuettes, including the three special awards (9 for the province of Ourense, 3 for A Coruña and 1 for Pontevedra): 4 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze.
One of the golds, the one for lactation management in the 4th category, was presented by Javier Rincón, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food of the Government of Aragon, who thanked the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Òscar Ordeig, for his presence and for choosing Zaragoza as the venue for this edition.
He also stressed the leadership of Spanish pork at a European level as one of the “main bastions in defence of the rural environment, a sector that contributes decisively to population growth” and economic development thanks to the production of “sufficient, safe and healthy” food, which he added is “affordable”.
The Ceva Animal Health Special One Health Award travels to Bendoiro for its excellent teamwork
The award for recognition of teamwork between farmers and veterinarians went to Bendoiro – Lalín (Pontevedra). The jury highlighted the excellent continuous, active and joint work carried out by the veterinarian and the farmer at Granja Bendoiro (Nudesa) to improve the health of the animals, the appropriate biosecurity, cleaning and disinfection measures, its meticulous vaccination plan, as well as strict control of the entry of external animals.
With this holistic mindset and comprehensive approach to ensuring excellent health in pig production, they have achieved a good sanitary level and prudent use of antibiotics in 2023. Also notable is the optimal working environment, the result of good working conditions and the training and motivation of workers. All of this, according to the jury, has a positive impact on the health and well-being of the animals.
Mar Lara, a veterinarian at Nudesa and the Bendoiro farm, acknowledged that she was extremely excited by the effort and philosophy of the farm team. For her part, the manager of the Anda Bulea farm said that she had not expected it and that she was “very excited by the recognition and the award.”
From Ceva Animal Health, Rafael Pedrazuela, director of the Porcine Business Unit, stated that “the impact of the Awards over these three decades has been extremely positive”. Regarding the One Health Award, he acknowledged that “it contributes to sustainability, to the reduction of antibiotics and, ultimately, to the One Health concept”.
Celanova, from Coren, receives the MAPA Porc d’Or Award for Sustainability for its continuous improvements
Named after the town where it is located, Celanova (Ourense), the jury highlighted that the farm stands out for its excellent biosecurity, cleanliness and the health of its animals.
In environmental matters, the integrated management of slurry stands out through a solid-liquid separation plant and its application on the land of the farm where it is located, promoting the circular economy and the reduction of emissions, as well as the use of renewable energies.
In relation to animal welfare, the highlights are the large spaces available with very good enrichment, good ventilation and natural lighting and the excellent general management of the facilities by the staff, including continuous improvement initiatives such as the use of free farrowing pens.
Dolores Domínguez, head of Celanova, shared the excitement of receiving the award and thanked her entire team: “It is recognition of all the work and effort we put in every day.”
Ponte Coirós’s high production efficiency leads it to the Porc d’Or Award with Diamond
Located in Coirós (A Coruña), the jury of the Porc d’Or Awards highlighted Ponte Coirós for its high production efficiency maintained over time, its high survival rate of suckling piglets, its census balance, the meticulous management of the animals in all phases of production and the great professionalism of its human team.
A success that is accompanied by rigorous data recording and clear action protocols in the different areas of the farm. In addition, the farm maintains the sows with full tails by providing them with straw bedding during gestation and soft sawdust floors in the infirmaries.
Òscar Ordeig, the regional minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Generalitat de Catalunya, was in charge of presenting the award and during his speech he thanked both farmers and all companies in the pig sector for their work in becoming a world reference. Ordeig recalled that “there have been times when society has not recognised the economic, innovative, educational, biosecurity, training, generational change and sustainability value” of Spanish pigs. “These awards are spread throughout the country with a message that the project is a joint one and that if we do not all work together we will not succeed.”
After the gala, Alejandro Juncal, the farm manager, thanked the team for their recognition of their daily efforts and declared that “this award represents a lot of joy, emotion, sacrifice, perseverance and work.”
Catalonia and Aragon close a TOP3 that takes 33 of the 43 statuettes awarded at the 2024 Porc d’Or Awards
The Galician community was closely followed by Catalonia with a total of 12 statuettes (7 for the province of Barcelona, 2 for Girona, 2 for Lleida and 1 for Tarragona): 4 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze.
Closing the podium, we find Aragon, with 8 awards (5 for Huesca and 3 for the province of Zaragoza): 2 gold, 1 silver and 5 bronze.
Navarra won 5 awards: 4 golds and 1 bronze; Castilla y León won 4 prizes (2 for Burgos, 1 for the province of Zamora and 1 for Salamanca): 1 gold and 3 silvers. The list was closed by Andalusia, with 1 gold for the province of Seville.
In total, 37 farms from 6 autonomous communities received the 43 awards (40 general and three special awards) this year, in a gala full of emotion and nerves.
Organized by IRTA with the support of Ceva and Interporc
This event is organised by the Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), a research institute of the Generalitat de Catalunya, attached to the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food; whose general objectives are to promote research and technological development in the agri-food sector, facilitate the transfer of scientific advances and assess its own technological advances, seeking maximum coordination and collaboration with the public and private sectors.
Among its projects, the BDporc stands out, the Pig Reference Data Bank, a tool that provides reference information to pig production companies as an aid in decision-making. It is a project at the service of the sector due to its representativeness, its historical trajectory and its desire for constant review and updating in the face of new economic, productive and environmental sustainability scenarios.
This tool is the basis on which IRTA created the awards, which are annual and national in nature, with the clear objective of rewarding the professionalism, effort and extraordinary work carried out day after day on pig farms throughout Spain to guarantee the future and progress of this sector. The Porc d’Or Awards are awarded by a jury of experts from the industry, livestock research and administration.
These awards for excellence in pig production have Ceva Salud Animal as the main partner, as well as the Interprofessional del Porcino de Capa Blanca (Interporc), which has supported the Porc d’Or since its inception. Also noteworthy for their commitment and support to the Porc d’Or Awards practically since their origins is the small list of Premium Sponsors: Banasegur, Farm Faes, IFR Group, OPP Group and Semen Cardona.
Enric Valentí, commercial manager of Banasegur, commented that thanks to the awards the sector has become more professional and that, in addition, they have served to reward the best cattle breeders in Spain.
Farm Faes, led by its sales manager for the eastern area, Yolanda Setó, shared the positive impact that the awards have had on the sector over these three decades; she also wanted to thank the organization for recognizing the daily work of the farmers.
“The livestock sector has invested heavily in digitalisation over the past three decades and the BDPorc database has helped this evolution,” shared Xavier Clua, COO of IFR Group.
From OPP Group, its founder Joan Sanmartí shared the importance of the awards to be able to “assess the thermometer of evolution of the pork sector” and thanked the opportunity to be part of the sponsorship of the Porc d’Or Awards.
Jordi Coletas, general manager of Semen Cardona, stressed that “the awards have helped a lot in giving prestige, support and recognition especially to the farmers who are working daily on their farms, something fundamental for the sector.”
The 31st edition of the Porc d’Or Awards closed with a cocktail dinner hosted by Mas Farré and live music by the group Claquera
