TECHNOLOGY AND ANIMAL WELFARE IMPROVE PIGGERY PROFITS
CP Kriek and his wife Gerda swapped their industrial engineering careers for farm life in 2012 with the purchase of Bloubank Estates, the holding company for Taaibosch Piggery.
“As engineers, we love challenges and taking things that aren’t working optimally and making them better,” says Kriek, who grew up on a farm.
The Krieks have worked hard to bring their farm up to European standards, implementing group housing and an electronic sow feeding system. This has dramatically improved animal and herd welfare on the farm, and has also resulted in improved productivity. Taaibosch Piggery, near Fochville in Gauteng, comprises four sections: a 2 200-commercial sow breeding and nursery unit; a weaning unit; a growing and finishing unit; and a genetic nucleus. An on-farm gene transfer centre provides fresh semen to the breeding unit on a scheduled and on-demand basis.
In addition, the operation has a 80-sow stud, which is due to be increased to 250 animals by June.
Kriek uses a crossbreeding system with Large White, Landrace, Duroc and Piétrain breeds. The first two
