Building innovative farrowing systems in Romania and abroad

In our Great Pork Originates Here-blog, we usually share stories about pig farmers. But the stories about our distributors are just as interesting. This time, we turn to Lebanon, where our distributor, Porktec, is using its 20 years of experience in building poultry barns to now also build pig barns. With their know-how about managing large-scale farm projects and Vereijken’s state-of-the-art farrowing systems, Porktec has emerged as a significant market player in Romania, where it provides ‘the full package’ to pig farms. How does Porktec approach large-scale pig farm projects in Romania?

A photo of Rachel, one of the team members of Porktec and co-worker of Salma

More than 20 years of experience in building barns
In offices in Antwerp, Belgium and Beirut, Lebanon, a well-organized and motivated team is working around the clock to manage pig farm projects at every stage, from design to construction to renovation. According to Salma Al Asmar, it’s like working in one big family. “Each colleague has a different expertise and has experience in a different part of the world. Because of our previous activities as a poultry farm supplier, we have more than 20 years of experience with building large-scale barns for every climate on every continent. Whether you are situated in Africa, Asia or Europe, there isn’t a continent on which we haven’t already done a project in which we developed an optimal barn design for that particular climate and legislation. They can differ greatly, depending on the country.”

Porktec has become a significant market player in Romania and is growing in other countries. “Determined as we are, we always succeed in finding the best solutions, so that our clients often return to us for future collaborations.”

Exporting our expertise in state-of-the-art farrowing systems
Vereijken has already done multiple projects with Porktec and is happy to continue the excellent collaboration. Ben Voetdijk from Vereijken says: “Porktec is very well-organized, so we have full confidence in their ability to carry out large-scale projects in Romania and Lebanon. We keep close lines of communication, so that we can share our expertise in innovative farrowing systems with them.” He adds: “When we develop products, we often collaborate closely with Wageningen University and with pig farmers to make sure that we translate science into practical farrowing systems that work well for the sow, the piglet and the pig farmer. A good example of this is Pro Dromi, a free farrowing system that creates a better micro- and macroclimate for both the sow and the piglet while increasing job satisfaction for pig farmers.” By working closely with Porktec, Vereijken is exporting this knowledge to Romania, where the pig farming industry is continuing to grow. Next to this, transport costs to Romania arerelatively low as Vereijken produces nearby Romania. 

A barn that is optimized for local legislation and climate
“We’re seeing that legislation is becoming increasingly important in the pig industry,” says Salma. Pig farmers are required to comply with more and more regulations. One-size-fits-all solutions are therefore no longer suitable. “Also, pigs need different surfaces, types of ventilation, and temperatures at different phases of their development. Our role is to take all these requirements into account to ensure the pigs’ welfare. This, in turn, has a positive impact on turnover.” About Porktec’s work in Romania, she says: “With our international experience in building barn designs for different climates and legislations and Vereijken´s expertise surrounding pigs, we are ready to take on large-scale projects in Romania and elsewhere. The Netherlands is a forerunner in the pig industry. We’re eager to bring over the state-of-the-art knowledge from the Dutch pig farming industry!”.

Interested in investing in Romania? Contact Ben Voetdijk at Ben@vereijkenhooijer.nl or info@porktec.net or info@poultec.net.