A new 26-storey pig house in China has started to take in its first sows after a €570 million investment to get the project up and running.
Operated by Zhongxin Kaiwei Modern Animal Husbandry, the complex in Ezhou, Hubei, consists of two 400,000m² buildings, each containing 26 floors.
The complex aims to process around 1.2 million pigs/year for slaughter with veterinarians supervising the complex 24 hours/day.
All aspects of the operation are controlled remotely, from temperature to ventilation and humidity levels in the house.
It has been reported that plans are also in the works to create a circular production model which would include the ability to produce 120,000m3 of biogas/day from the pigs manure thanks to an in-house anaerobic fermentation unit.
Irish pork exports to China
According to figures from Bord Bia, the value of Irish pork exports in China is estimated at €215 million for 2021, up 8% on figures from 2020.
It is also estimated that China receives 40% of all pork exported from Ireland, making the country the biggest importer of Irish pork worldwide.