The Alcazaba of Jerez de los Caballeros (Badajoz) hosted the tenth edition of the Porc d’Or Iberian Awards on 12 June, one of the leading events for the Spanish pig sector. More than 450 professionals, including farmers, technicians, researchers, companies and institutional representatives, took part in a gala that recognised the work of the most outstanding farms in the country.
The celebration of this tenth edition also highlighted the role of Extremadura as one of the key regions in Iberian pig production. The event combined professional recognition, exchange of experiences and networking among the different stakeholders of the Iberian pig value chain.
Among the attending authorities were representatives of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Regional Government of Extremadura, the Government of Catalonia, ANPROGAPOR, ASICI, CEVA Animal Health and IRTA, among other organisations linked to the agri-food sector.
During the gala, IRTA Director General Josep Usall highlighted the importance of these awards in recognising the daily work of farmers and technical teams, as well as the institution’s commitment to generating knowledge and improving competitiveness, sustainability and animal welfare on farms.
BDporc, the technical foundation behind the awards
The Porc d’Or Iberian Awards are based on data from BDporc, the benchmark platform managed by IRTA Transfer that collects production information from nearly one million white-coat and Iberian breeding sows, representing approximately 50% of the national herd.
This tool makes it possible to analyse results, identify best practices and provide objective indicators to evaluate farm performance. Since 2015, it has also expanded internationally through collaboration agreements with organisations in Portugal and Colombia.
Castilla y León and Extremadura lead the awards list
Farms from Castilla y León and Extremadura received a large share of the awards in this edition. The production categories recognised the best results in numerical productivity, longevity and farrowing rate, rewarding farms located in Salamanca, Valladolid, Segovia, Badajoz and Soria.
Among the recognised companies were Agrocesa – Grupo Vall Companys, Explotaciones Porcinas Díaz, Ibéricos Puros de Extremadura, Grupo Santana Hernández, ICPOR Soria and Dehesa Solobreña.
The gala also included the presentation of the Special Awards, including the new ASICI Award for Excellence in Acorn-Fed Iberian Production, created to recognise best practices in the management of animals destined for acorn-fed Iberian production.
Alongside this award, the CEVA Animal Health One Health Award, the MAPA Sustainability Award and the Porc d’Or Iberian Diamond Award, the highest distinction of the competition, were presented. This year, the Diamond Award went to Granja La Mejorada, owned by Agrocesa – Grupo Vall Companys (Valladolid).
Ten years promoting professionalism in the sector
Organised by IRTA, with ASICI and CEVA Animal Health as co-organisers and supported by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and ANPROGAPOR, the Porc d’Or Iberian Awards have become one of the sector’s leading recognitions over the past decade.
Their objective is to promote professionalism, innovation and continuous improvement on farms, helping the sector face the challenges of sustainability, competitiveness and efficiency that will shape the future of Iberian pig production.
Foto: IRTA
