The operations of Bonafarm Mezőgazdaság’s pig farming division is based on 16 own livestock farms (1 central boar farm, 2 nucleus farms and 7 commercial sow farms, 2 grower farms and 4 fattening farms), as well as 6 integrated sow farms and 100-120 integrated fattening farms. Each of our pig farms has a high animal welfare status with state-of-the-art livestock keeping technology systems, where the animals are reared in an ideal environment.
In 2019 our pig farming division produced more than 680,000 fattening pigs, most of which were finished by our integrated pig fattening partners. Our aim is to increase production to 750,000 by 2022 with the help of our existing and future integration partners fattening pigs under contracts.
We are particularly proud of using only GMO-free input materials. Pork can be marked “from GMO-free production” if the animal concerned was not given feed containing GMO ingredients at least during the last 4 months of its life. At Bonafarm Group this requirement is met during the pigs’ whole lifetime, starting from birth. Breeders and piglets alike are provided with certified 100% GMO-free feed on our farms.
Under the cooperation between our division and our strategic partner MCS Vágóhíd Zrt. we have been able to supply our domestic and international consumers with certified GMO-free pork as well, since 2017.
GLOBALG.A.P. (G.A.P. = Good Agricultural Practice) is an international standard laying down the foundations for good agricultural operations. It prescribes strict regulations for all aspects of livestock breeding and fattening. Where all of the prescribed requirements are met, consumers can be sure that raw materials are traceable, they come from farms of high animal welfare status, operated in line with strict rules and regulations on livestock production, where particular attention is paid to the welfare and health of sows, piglets and fattening pigs and where animals are kept in a stress-free environment.
Our fattening farms have been audited for GLOBALG.A.P. animal welfare certification, in support of the production of higher quality premium meats.
To satisfy abattoirs’ requirements as fully as possible, Bonafarm Mezőgazdaság’s pig farming programme relies on DanAvl genetics, because the DanAvl hybrid produces more than 60% muscle meat, with a thin layer of fat.
The breed construction ensures genetic progress by combining boars and sows with the highest breeding value and by conscious selection based on the performance of the female animals. Muscle meat production of at least 61% as an annual average – including 96% “S” and “N” quality half carcasses – is one of our important, constant objectives. We lay particular emphasis on continuous improvement and development, therefore our pig farming division and the Kaposvár Campus of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences operated the university’s experimental pig farm in cooperation up to end-2020. The farm’s tasks include research into nutrition, support of human health research projects, genetic development, feed research and development and research into livestock keeping and breeding technology.
The Tengelic-Középhídvég boar farm of Bonafarm Mezőgazdaság is Hungary’s only boar farm today which is capable of producing breeding boars representing high genetic and animal health values, using the DanAvl genetics. The farm supplies the propagating material requirement for the 15,000 sows kept by our own companies and another 15,000 sows kept by our integration partners.
Once the farm is populated to its full capacity, it will be capable of providing 40,000 sows with propagation material each year.
Our aim is to provide not only our own farms and integration partners with breeding gilts while maintaining a high genetic value but also to make F1 DanAvl breeders produced at the nucleus farm available for our external partners.
The integrated pig farming system built up by Bonafarm Mezőgazdaság in Hungary is an extensive and mutually beneficial form of cooperation involving our agricultural companies and our partners fattening pigs under contracts. The integration aims at enabling each party to utilise economic opportunities in line with the market’s principles (the parties settle accounts with each other at prices based on commodity exchange prices).
