Feeding

The grains used are predominantly barley with smaller proportions of maize, wheat, and some wheat milling products such as bran. Protein sources include meat and bone meal, fishmeal, soya meal, milk powders and sometimes casein and milk by-products such as casein and whey. Other feed ingredients are constantly being researched with interest currently being shown in alternative feed sources and by-products that can be incorporated into liquid feeding systems.

Arable Industry Marketing Initiative

Funded by the MAF Sustainable Farming Fund (MAF SFF) and co funded by the Foundation for Arable Research, Federated Farmers, Arable Food Industry Council (AFIC) and United Wheat Growers, the AIMI has been developed with the objective of ensuring future sustainability and improved competitiveness for the industry. One of their first actions has been to publish quarterly surveys of cereals in New Zealand, these reports are available for download at the AIMI

Nutrition

Feed is the major cost of production in pig farming, accounting for between 60 - 80% of total on-farm costs. Pigs need to be fed a diet containing the correct balance of nutrients in order for them to be healthy and productive.

The trend has been away from the use of dairy by-products to grain-based feeds and today pigs are mainly fed grain-based diets with protein sources added.