TSC is a pioneer in pig farming with enterprise management in Taiwan. It has been more than 7 decades since TSC started the livestock breeding business in 1952. To completely solve the environmental issues of pig farming, respond to the government’s 5+2 Innovative Industries Plan, and introduce ecological balance, environmental protection, and green concepts into pig farming industry, in 2016, TSC first started the Dong Hai Feng Negative Pressure Water Curtain and Green Energy Design Pig Farm Renovation Project. In 2018, TSC further launched the Agricultural Circulation Pig Farm Renovation and Investment Project for 13 pig farms to comprehensively accelerate the modernization of livestock farms. Through the renovation, the inspection and control of wastewater and waste treatment processes on-site are strengthened, and review and improvement of operational procedures are carried out. The collected pig manure and urine from the pig farms are treated in the following four paths.
| 1. Biomass Energy | Biogas produced through fermentation is used for power generation to increase revenue (green energy resources). |
| 2. Biogas Residue Compost | After solid-liquid separation, the biogas residues are turned over and matured to make compost, which not only is neighbor-friendly but also increases fertilizer income. |
| 3. Biogas Slurry Recovery | After sewage treatment, part of the biogas slurry is recycled to the site for reuse (water resources), and the odor is controlled to allowable range that is acceptable and compliant with regulations. It takes into account the pig farm configuration and production capacity, biological epidemic prevention, and proper treatment of sewage and odor, changing people’s stereotype, and enabling the public to gradually recognize the livestock and renewable energy circulation industry. |
| 4. The Biogas Slurry and Residue are Used as Fertilizer in the Farmland | We cooperate with EPA’s policy to use biogas slurry and residue to fertilize the farmland and for the reuse of agro-industrial waste, and the biogas slurry and residue are used on the farmland to increase the soil fertility reducing the discharge of wastewater to the river and thereby reduce pollution. |
The first modernized green pig farm in Taiwan, the Dong Hai Feng Agricultural Circulation Park, commenced operations in 2021. It has achieved goals typical of the livestock industry, including automation, zero pollution, zero waste, zero emissions, and environmental friendliness, where the business model of “secondary raw material recycling/by-products” is carried out. After the verification by British Standards Institution (BSI), the model complies with the BS 8001:2017: Framework for implementing the six principles of the circular economy, making it the very first livestock farmer in Taiwan and even in the world to obtain a standard verification statement, and the overall cycle maturity reaches the highest level- the optimization of the business model.
Investment Project for the Renovation of Agricultural Circulation Pig Farms
To further apply the successful experience in Dong Hai Feng Agricultural Circulation Park to the other pig farms, TSC further launched the Agricultural Circulation Pig Farm Renovation and Investment Project, which is TSC’s largest-scale investment project since the establishment of the livestock business. The purpose is to allow all sectors to redefine the pig farming industry and to lead the development, improvement, and upgrading of the domestic pig farming industry, reversing the stereotype of pig farms as NIMBY facilities.
Investment Project for the Renovation of Agricultural Circulation Pig Farms
| Plan to invest NTD 12.45 billion | The biogas power generation target 788 GWh/year | Expected annual sales of hogs about 500,000 |
TSC is still the largest single pig farmer in Taiwan, and as a pig farming company, TSC is already the leader in domestic animal husbandry industry. However, the pig farm renovation project involves in many professional fields, including livestock housing, civil engineering, construction, electromechanical, information, environmental engineering, wastewater treatment, etc. In addition, the modernization of the animal husbandry industry is still in the transformation and development stage. There are very few professional teams that can be in charge of entire husbandry engineering design and also the integrated construction. Therefore, the user (TSC) is in charge of the design, and when the design is completed, the engineering construction is then put out to contract.
This project involves as many as 13 pig farms and also the needs of different feeding stages, and the entire project is huge and complicated. Therefore, is divided into two phases of construction. Phase I construction of six livestock farms, with five of them completed by the end of December, 2023 and undergoing pig trial feeding. All the 13 livestock farms are scheduled to be completed by June, 2025, with full production expected by 2026.
Pig-friendly Rearing
Good animal welfare is closely related to food safety and epidemic risks. The Renovation Project of Agricultural Circulation Pig Farms is not only a good solution to turn pig farming industry into an eco-friendly one, but also a global trend to improve animal welfare. The temperature control and deodorization of the comfortable negative pressure water curtain in the pig housing can greatly improve the living environment of pigs. TSC manages the pig breeding in accordance with the MOA’s Animal Industry Act and Key Points of Pig Farms Production Management. It is compliant with animal and aquatic animal transportation, loading and unloading, and slaughter regulations. In 2022, there were no violations of laws and regulations, and TSC complied with the voluntary standards. In addition, TSC continues to improve and research and develop new feed formulas. Currently, the pigs are fed “green feeds” (antibiotics-free) and the selection and breeding is carried out to produce high-quality hogs with low drug use, no pollution, and no drug residues. In addition, we also introduce the Traceability Certification for the hogs to implement food safety regulations.
Animal friendly production operations and equipment are planned in TSC’s livestock farms. For example, the pigs are castrated within 7 days of birth. There are toys in the pig house for the pigs to play with. In the planning of new pig house in the future, the sows will only be kept in a narrow pen for one month from artificial mating for the observation of whether they are pregnant. The size of the narrow pen is designed in accordance with the EU Animal Welfare Measures or animal-friendly guidelines (1.64~2.48 m2 of activity space per sow). If the pregnancy is confirmed, during the pregnancy period of 114 days, the sows will be raised in a group breeding pen with sufficient space for activities (up to 10 sows) to wait for delivery. The farrowing pen (not a narrow pen) is also designed to be compliant with the EU Animal Welfare Measures or animal-friendly guidelines (6~6.24 m2 of activity space per sow) for the sows to have sufficient space for movement, creating a friendly environment for delivery and lactation. The design of the hog house is compliant with the EU regulations with the activity space of 1 m2 per head, providing a comfortable and pollution-free breeding environment for hogs. In the future, after the renovation of the livestock house is completed, the intelligent management system and the automated feeding system installed can further improve the breeding efficiency and enable real-time monitoring of the pigs’ health, creating a 3-win situation for the pigs, TSC, and consumers.
