The 32nd Porc d’Or Awards gala was held in Lleida on October 24, 2025, with more than 900 attendees to recognize the effort and excellence of the pig farmers nominated and awarded in this edition.
The awards were distributed among around forty farms, located mainly in the provinces of Ourense, Navarra, Huesca, and Barcelona, among many others.
The city of Lleida hosted the 32nd Porc d’Or Awards this Friday, the competition that recognizes excellence in white-coated pig production in Spain. The event, held at the La Llotja Conference Center, brought together more than 900 professionals from the pig sector, as well as institutional representatives, researchers, supplier companies, and specialized media. Organized by IRTA (Institute for Agrifood Research and Technology) and based on the BDporc tool, the Pig Reference Database, the awards are granted by a jury of experts from the industry, livestock research, and administration.
In this edition, a total of 43 awards were presented to pig farms that stand out for their excellent production, health, and animal welfare. All of them were selected based on the analysis of technical and production data for 2024 recorded in the BDporc system, information related to welfare, health, and the environment collected through surveys, and following a visit by a Jury delegation to the farms nominated for the Special Awards.
The event began in the Ricard Vinyes auditorium with a welcome address from Claudia Raymat and Ares Teixidó, journalists and presenters. The ceremony was attended by the Regional Minister for Climate Action, Food, and Rural Agenda of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Òscar Ordeig, and the Director General of Agricultural Production and Markets of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Elena Busutil. Also present were Josep Usall, Director General of IRTA; Rafael Pedrazuela, Director of the Swine Business Unit at Ceva Animal Health; and Manuel García, President of INTERPORC, representing the organizing and co-organizing entities. All of them welcomed and congratulated the award-winning farms, reinforcing their commitment to the continuous improvement of the Spanish swine sector.
In his speech, Josep Usall thanked the attending authorities and the sponsors for their support, “whose commitment makes it possible to recognize the companies in the country’s pork sector, which stand out for their excellence in production, health, and animal welfare.” He also congratulated all the award-winning farms, acknowledging their daily efforts and commitment to excellence in pork production.
Galicia leads the list of winners, while the Special Awards go to Aragon, Castile and Leon, and Navarre
In this 32nd edition, Galicia has established itself as the main protagonist, with a total of 16 awards, of which 13 went to farms in the province of Ourense and three in A Coruña, mainly thanks to farms belonging to the Coren group. Aragon is next in line, with 11 awards, concentrated mainly in the province of Huesca and three in Zaragoza. Castile and León received six awards spread across the different provinces, and Catalonia received five awards in Barcelona and Lleida. Other regions such as Navarre and Andalusia also received awards in some categories, demonstrating the diversity and quality of the pork production sector throughout the country. In addition to the technical and productive awards, three Special Awards were presented, recognizing the farms’ overall commitment to excellence, sustainability, and animal health. This year, the awards went to Aragón, Castilla y León, and Navarra.
The Porc d’Or One Health Award, from Ceva Animal Health, went to the Laguarres – Agropecuaria del Isábena farm, owned by Mazana Piensos Compuestos, in Laguarres (Huesca). The Jury highlighted the valuable joint work of the farmer and the veterinarian to promote the health and longevity of the animals, as well as the strict implementation of biosecurity measures and a rigorous vaccination plan, which determine its high level of health and responsible use of antibiotics.
The MAPA Porc d’Or Award for Sustainability went to El Cerruco, owned by Agrocesa – Grupo Vall Companys, in San Esteban de Gormaz (Soria). The Jury praised the farm’s impeccable level of animal welfare, highlighting the free-range farrowing system and the integrated management of twinned litters from birth, its excellent biosecurity and health status, and its environmental advances, with the use of renewable energy and optimized water use.
Finally, the Porc d’Or with Diamond Award, the highest award, was presented to SAT 4835 Urra-Zurucuáin, from Piensos Costa, in Zurucuáin (Navarre). The winner of this award stood out for its excellent production results, the result of meticulous and individualized management of the sows and their litters, as well as optimal control of feeding and environmental conditions, and overall excellence in all aspects of technical and production management.
One of the main new features of this edition has been the updated criteria for the Longevity Award, which is now based on the percentage of sows that survive their third reproductive cycle, with special emphasis on census stability and the balance of the population pyramid. This change seeks to highlight the work of breeders to improve the longevity of breeding sows and the long-term sustainability of their farms.
A consolidated meeting to recognize efforts and share knowledge
This event is organized by IRTA, 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 Pork Reference Database, a tool that provides reference information to pork production companies as a tool to aid in decision-making. This project serves the sector due to its representativeness, its historical trajectory, and its willingness to be constantly reviewed and updated in light of new economic, production, and environmental sustainability scenarios.
he Porc d’Or Awards for excellence in pork production are co-organized by CEVA Animal Health and INTERPORC (the White Coat Pig Interprofessional Association), who have accompanied the Porc d’Or year after year. They also provide support and collaboration from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food since the Awards’ inception. We would also like to thank the local sponsors of this 32nd edition: the Lleida City Council, Mercolleida, and the Lleida Provincial Council. We would also like to highlight the small list of Premium Sponsors who have supported the Porc d’Or Awards practically since their inception: Sabseg Banasegur, Farm Faes, IFR Group, OPP Group, and Semen Cardona.
The 32nd edition of the Porc d’Or Awards concluded with a cocktail dinner hosted by Jubany Events and live music by the group La Tremenda Pop.
Meeting with representatives of the pork sector
Taking advantage of the gala, IRTA organized a meeting this Friday morning with representatives of the leading companies in the pig sector to share challenges and experiences.
This meeting, attended by fifty professionals, is the starting point for a new strategic initiative for IRTA: to generate ongoing and structured dialogue with the pig sector and with public authorities to jointly address the challenges of the 21st century, including animal health and welfare, climate change, and the sustainability of production—both economic, environmental, and social.
“We want to place the needs of the pig sector at the center of the science and innovation carried out in this field by dozens of professionals from various programs within our organization,” emphasized Carles Vilalta, researcher in the IRTA-CReSA Animal Health program and coordinator of the initiative.
Specifically, IRTA’s aim is for the sector to participate in the construction project for the new pilot pig farm for innovation, oriented towards sustainability, well-being and health under the concept of one health. Construction will begin in 2027 at the IRTA centre in Mas Bové.
