USSEC shared its swine expertise with Polish pig farmers, nutritionists and field technical service staff from local feed compounders.
Based on the success of USSEC’s Swine Nutrition & Management Training course held in Spain last fall, USSEC sent the top two trainers at the course, Enric Marco Granell (MarcoVetGrup, Barcelona, Spain) and Gonzalo G. Mateos (University of Spain, Madrid), to Poland in February to share their swine expertise.  The consultants were accompanied by USSEC Technical Director Northeast Europe Jerzy W. Kosieradzki, who served as a coordinator and interpreter.  The team spent a week working with two feed manufacturers, LIRA and PIAST, in the western province of Wielkopolska.   USSEC presented information to a total of 90 people, both at the annual conference for LIRA’s pig growers and managers, as well as to the feed compounder’s staff members, covering major topics ranging from trends in swine production both in the EU and worldwide; practical aspects of gastrointestinal physiology in the pig; nutrition and management of highly prolific sows; advantages of U.S. soybean meal and soy-derived products in swine diets; and nutrition and pathology in finishing pigs.  Preceding farm visits offered the trainees a great hands-on experience and highly qualified advice to the farms’ staff and owners.

At PIAST, the U.S. Soy team chose to host in-company training for their nutritionists, nutritional advisors and sales representatives, which began at three swine farms followed by an in-class workshop, where the trainers and students discussed their observations at the visited farms and made recommendations for improvements.  The USSEC team also presented on a number of swine production topics.
Having the two Spanish experts in Poland offered another opportunity:  the renewal of USSEC’s cooperation with Agri Plus, a Murphy Brown Company, and swine-growing company of Smithfield.  Agri Plus is the largest swine producer in Poland with one million finished hogs a year and is also a key player in the Romanian market.  USSEC had previously worked with Agri Plus on various projects, but the relationship was affected by personnel changes at the company a couple of years ago.  As a result of USSEC’s meeting with Smithfield’s Regional Manager Luis Cerdan and Agri Plus – Poland General Manager Monika Ejchart, the company is once again open to USSEC invitations and cooperation proposals.