In the first e-mailnewslettter of this year we would like to inform you about Provimi's technical breakthrough in methane mitigation. In the poultry article you can read everything about heat stress and what you can do to avoid heat stress. Swine Group manager Pieter Wolleswinkel answers four questions on the RescuePig concept. Meet the people behind Provimi, in this newsletter meet Bram Rijgersberg.

Methane output from ruminants is a significant concern from an environmental point of view and might represent a loss of dietary energy to the animal. Provimi has been working for a number of years on the development of dietary strategies to reduce methane emissions. This work is now being published in scientific journals.

Currently the swine industry in Europe is under severe economical pressure. Will this affect the demand for RescuePig?

Stress as a result of (changes in) ambient temperature is a commonly found reason for reduced production in poultry. Broilers, turkeys and laying hens can all be affected during various stages of development or production. Cold stress and heat stress can both occur. Because farmers in colder climatic regions tend to have more climate controlled houses, cold stress is less influencing production compared to heat stress. Also, it is easier to heat a house rather than to cool a house, often simply because of the presence of equipment.

Keep a close eye on milk concentration!

Many calves lose weight in the first three weeks of life; their energy requirement is higher in the cold season. Because of the risk of rumen overflow, many calves are fed a restricted amount of milk during the first weeks of life, which leads to insufficient energy supply.

Bram Rijgersberg, Ingredients Manager Europe

Born and raised in Breda in the south of the Netherlands, Bram Rijgersberg started his career trading raw materials in China.

He first moved to Beijing, China as part of his business administration course through Rotterdam Business School and Tsinghua University, Beijing. After completing the course Bram based himself in Shanghai and started a business trading raw materials from Asia to Europe. He developed contacts with Chinese producers sourcing a range of products and services from coat hangers to software on behalf of medium sized companies in Europe. Whilst in Shanghai he was an active member of the Benelux Chamber of Commerce.