In a world of continuous population growth and change, pig and poultry farms face more challenges than ever before. In order to provide consumers with a high quality, risk-free protein source, whilst raising animals in conditions that maximizes animal welfare, and minimizes antibiotic usage and environmental impact requires a sustained commitment and focus. Not only from the farming community, but from society as a whole.
The quality and safety of our food depends on the efforts of everyone involved in a complex food chain from ‘Farm to Fork’ and from “Fork to Farm”. In agricultural production, disease and sickness amongst animals can be very costly, reducing productivity and profitability as well as putting livelihoods at risk. Good hygiene is not a matter of luck or through the use of a single product but as a result of a holistic approach to implementing targeted measures to prevent the risk of infection and contamination by pathogenic microorganisms.
By lowering the risk of disease occurrence and providing an enriched environment for animals to thrive, enables sustainable production to continue thereby reducing the need for antibiotics and the lessening the impact on our planet.
In this context, Kersia leads the way and is committed to supporting pig and poultry farms through offering complete and comprehensive biosecurity products and solutions, through our ‘Cleaning, Disinfection and Protection’ Programs.
Cleaning
will ensure surfaces and equipment are in the best condition possible for the application of your chosen disinfectant. Sufficient focus and effective front-end cleaning to remove all organic and inorganic matter is an essential part of ensuring a successful biosecurity program. Kersia’s range of innovative detergents are specially formulated to ensure maximum wetting, foaming and degreasing properties.
Disinfection
of surfaces and air, along with efficient disinfection of equipment is essential to ensure microbial challenges are eliminated. Selection of a broad spectrum disinfectant and a targeted disinfectant, when necessary, ensures farms are continuously improving standards, enhancing productivity, ensuring the safety of consumers and operators, which ultimately leads to more sustainable and profitable farms.
Protection
is focused on ensuring a comprehensive approach with leading and innovative products focused on water disinfection, wheel disinfection, hand and foot disinfection preventing microorganisms from re-entering and contaminating clean buildings and equipment.
At all stages, Kersia is at your side to ensure the correct products and protocols are in place. Our cleaning and disinfection programs will be adapted to your individual needs according to site constraints, contamination risks, regulatory constraints and commitments made to customers and consumers.
A systematic approach to cleaning and disinfection such as Kersia’s ‘7-Stage’ approach is key’ to ensuring a successful biosecurity program. Our products and programs are reinforced with the advice of our experts, diagnostic tools, application recommendations and ensuring procedures are implemented correctly.
Working in partnership with renowned universities of expertise in the Agri-Food Sector, Innovation is at the core of Kersia – leading the way and constantly evolving to ensure we are meeting market requirements and regulatory requirements, while at the same time continuously focusing on environmental impact and food safety. Kersia’s innovative programs cover a wide range of cleaning detergents and actives for routine cleaning and disinfection to ULTRADIFFUSION®, which utilises a sophisticated slow combustion technology diffusing active substance into the air in a uniform and high density dispersion making it possible to reach the hard-to access areas with a precise dose.
The importance of water quality
Clean water is essential to healthy chickens and pigs, contaminated water not only leads to disease but it can have a significant impact on growth and productivity. The situation is often made worse at animal drinking points where chickens or pigs can bring contaminants to the water such as faeces, dirt, feathers polluting the line for any animal that follows and introducing harmful microorganisms into the system that can rapidly breed and spread.
A farm fed with poor quality water can thus contaminate humans via eggs or meat. Conversely, studies show that poultry with good quality water grow faster and healthier, reducing the need for antibiotic treatment.
Often, parts of the water system are overlooked in the cleaning procedure, all aspects of the water system needs to be cleaned from the header tank to the distribution lines, water lines, to the outside of the lines and drinkers. On-going water treatment with products such as AQUATABS®, a world leader in water disinfection is essential to ensure microbial levels remain low and to prevent biofilm build up.
Poultry farming
Whether you are a breeder, broiler, rearer or layer farm, a hatchery, a feed mill or a transport company, solutions must be adapted to the risks encountered at each stage of poultry farming. At Kersia, we are focused around some key strategic themes, all aimed at improving the health and welfare of your animals, your employees and your environment, these include:
- Reduction of substances of concern
- Overcoming microbial persistence strategies
- Biofilm Control
- Nutritional and Enrichment support
Pig Farming & African swine fever (ASF)
The profitability of a pig farm is closely related to the number of piglets weaned successfully per litter. Keeping young piglets healthy and protecting them from disease is just as important until they reach maturity. Kersia experts work to create safe conditions that protect farms from infection and contamination and, where appropriate, prevent the spread of disease.
In just a few years, the African swine fever epidemic has spread to many countries across the world, from the Far East to several countries in Europe, with a mortality rate of up to 100% in pigs and wild boars. This highly contagious virus is spread by contact, by ingestion of water or contaminated food, by air over short distances or by insect bites, it is relatively resistant in the environment and therefore it can spread very fast.
This ASF virus has a complex structure with an outer lipid envelope. In the fight against this disease, it is an advantage because it is sensitive to disinfectants that inactivate more easily than viruses without envelope (called “naked”). The protection of pig farms is based on a comprehensive biosecurity program across the farm and ensuring correct application of the procedures for controlling the risks of infection and contamination.
Efficacy against ASF – Kersia has recently undertaken tests on three of our products – Effisafe, Hypred Force 7 and Virex against ASF according to the EN14675 norm. These tests were carried out by Wageningen University and Research in the laboratories responsible for the prevention and eradication of ASF, located in the Netherlands.