Polish Customers Study Swine Nutrition, African Swine Fever at USSEC Seminar in Bucharest

The April 2019 U.S. Soy marketing program for Poland kicked off in Bucharest, Romania, where a team of Polish customers took advantage of a swine nutrition and disease seminar.
Jerzy Kosieradzki, USSEC Technical Director - Northeast Europe, escorted the team to the seminar, which was hosted by Dr. Iani Chihaia, USSEC consultant – Romania.
By painting a picture of today’s swine industry in the Europe and the globe, Dr. Enric Marco (MarcoVet Grup, Spain) set the foundation for the seminar. It allowed Dr. Gonzalo Mateos (UPM, Spain) to move to the first of the main challenges encountered by industry members gathered in the conference room: antibiotic-free feeding of pigs, which is now a legal requirement in the EU.
In her two presentations, Dr. Megan Niderwerder (Kansas State University) took the listeners on an even deeper journey into that issue and explained the role of gut microbiom in reducing antimicrobial (including antibiotics) use in swine production. She also spoke on a very practical issue such as: Can feed ingredients and feeds contaminated with viral diseases and transported between continents and countries pose a risk to the health of pigs?
Dr. Jose M. Sanchez-Vizcaino (Univ. Complutense Madrid), who is likely the top European expert in this topic, took on African Swine Fever (ASF), which is a current threat to the global swine industry. He provided historical perspective to spreading of ASF in the world, including its outbreaks in Portugal, Spain, and Italy over half a century ago, and its recent spread in Romania, Poland, and other European countries. The expert explained the key ways the virus spreads among the wild boars and domestic pigs (via blood and feces, ticks, and swill feeding) and how to fight the disease while maintaining production and export of pork products.
Dr. Marco showed that tight and serious on-farm biosecurity is key to ASF and the other diseases affecting the commercial pig industry.
The U.S. Soy Advantage in regards to pig feeding could not be left out at a USSEC event, and the topic was covered by Dr. Mateos, who used the results of studies he coordinated for many years and the conclusions from his meta-analysis of 18 key scientific publications in international literature.
The Polish participants all agreed that the event USSEC hosted in Bucharest was a great addition to what U.S. Soy offered its customers in Poland and the other Northeast European countries.

Polish customers joined the Romanian ones for the seminar; here: Grzegorz Kowerski, Biochem-Poland (DVM) first from left) and Dr. Mirosław Wantuła, Blattin Polska (second) are diligently learning about European swine industry.
How to maintain pig performance when no antibiotics or zinc oxide feeding are used was explained by Dr. Gonzalo Mateos.
Dr. M. Niederwerder (KSU), who spoke on microbiom in the pig and nutrition and health was a great addition to the three European speakers.
Dr. Mateos presented on U.S. Hi-Pro soymeal advantages over the meal of other origins and how to benefit from in pig nutrition.
ASF disease presentations strongly activated the audience and many people voiced their comments and/or asked questions; here, Mihai Rebiga of UBM Agri Romania has his chance.
– Globalization of animal health and practical aspects of fighting with African Swine Fever in Europe were covered by J.M. Vizcaino (UCM, Spain) and it made the core of the event for the Polish participants.
The participants truly paid attention and asked questions.
Each time Dr. Enric Marco (MarcoVet Grup, Spain) speaks on pig nutrition from a health point of view, it is well- received by European audiences.
A more advanced spring was an added bonus for the Polish customers; here: magnolias are already in blossom