Last Friday, November 25, 2022, in the capital of Castilla-La Mancha, the Institute for Food and Agricultural Research and Technology (IRTA), Zoetis, and the Interprofessional of White Pigs, Interporc, have recognized the work of the most leading Spanish pig farms, under the watchful eye of more than 800 industry professionals in attendance.
A total of 42 farms from seven autonomous communities received this year’s 48 awards (45 general and three special awards), amidst some nerves and a lot of excitement.
Aragón has once again triumphed, receiving the three special awards. Thus, Piensos Mazana’s Laguarres-Agropecuaria del Isábena, from Huesca, has won the highest award, the Porc d’Or Especial con Diamante (Special Porc d’Or with Diamond); Granja La Almenara, of the company Inga Food, in Tauste, won the MAPA Special Porc d’Or for its outstanding characteristics in terms of health, animal welfare and environment; and the Teruel-based Pedregales, of Cuarte SL, received the Zoetis Special Porc d’Or Award for Innovation for its Porcisost project. This project consists of research on new nutritional, sanitary and environmental strategies for a sustainable and future pig farming.
On the other hand, and according to the technical criteria of Longevity (Piglets Weaned per Low Sow), Numerical Productivity and Farrowing Rate, for each of the five categories -depending on the size of the farm-, 45 gold, silver and bronze statuettes were awarded.
Galicia receives the highest number of awards
The autonomous community with the most awards this year was Galicia, with twelve Porc d’Or awards for ten farms: one of them, in A Coruña, received a silver, the rest are from Ourense, which received four golds, three silvers and four bronzes.
It is closely followed by Aragon, with eleven awarded farms (six in Huesca, four in Zaragoza and one in Teruel) and five golds, four silvers and three bronzes; and Catalonia, with ten recognized farms (eight in Barcelona and one each in Girona and Lleida), three golds, three silvers and four bronzes. The ranking is closed by Castilla y León with five award-winning farms (three silver, one gold and one bronze); Navarra with four farms accumulating two golds and two bronzes; and Castilla-La Mancha and Rioja with one farm each and one bronze and one silver respectively.
Nearly three decades of history
It was in 1994 that IRTA first held the Porc d’Or awards. Since then, thousands of white pig farms in our country have been awarded. 29 years in which the swine sector has evolved rapidly and positively, as shown in the BDporc data.
BDporc is the pillar on which the awards are based. The farms that annually opt for these awards are adhered to the same. The parameters that are submitted in this database are the data that are analyzed by the jury to finally determine the nominees and award winners. As stated in the terms and conditions of the call, the period of time considered in the analysis will be 12 full months, of which at least 9 months will correspond to the year for which the awards are granted.
Organized by IRTA, these awards for excellence in pig production are co-organized by Zoetis and Interprofesional del Porcino de Capa Blanca (Interporc), which have accompanied the Porc d’Or since its inception.
The thirtieth edition of the Porc d’Or Awards will take place in Lleida, on October 20, 2023.
