ABOVE: SunPork will share its intellectual property with the sector, meaning that by adopting the proactive innovation, the Australian pork industry can lead the world in pig welfare.
SunPork has unveiled an animal welfare breakthrough with the recent launch of a new patented ‘maternity ring’ to eliminate farrowing crates.
Australian pork producer SunPork has developed the new technology through extensive research and development over the past 10 years, with no external funding, to deliver a commercially viable solution to improve sow welfare during the period in which sows nurse their piglets, known as farrowing.
Farrowing crates have traditionally been used to reduce the inherent risk of piglet mortality during nursing and, until this breakthrough, have remained the last element of close confinement without viable alternatives in Australian commercial pork production.
The ring is a single suspended oval-shaped hoop that allows sows greater freedom of movement to support natural nesting behaviour and socialising between sows, while limiting the potential for rolling, which can risk injuring piglets.
SunPork intends to gradually transition its entire operations to be 100 percent crate and stall-free, through the introduction of the new maternity ring, its current work to remove mating stalls and its previous removal of all gestation stalls.
SunPork is Woolworths’ largest pork supplier by volume, and Woolworths’ partnership on this new innovation will see the first 100 percent crate-free, cage-free and stall-free fresh pork enter Woolworths’ supply chain.
Under this strategic partnership, SunPork’s entire supply to Woolworths will transition to crate, cage and stall-free in the years ahead.
SunPork Group chief executive officer Dr Robert van Barneveld said, “We set the team a formidable task 10 years ago – to find a commercially viable alternative to farrowing crates that not only eliminated the need for any confinement during farrowing and lactation, but demonstrably improved the welfare of the sow while safeguarding her piglets.”
“I am so proud of what our team has achieved.
“By adopting this proactive innovation, the Australian pork industry can lead the world in pig welfare – noting this is one of very few solutions for elimination of close-confinement that benefits the sow, the piglet, the pork producer and the consumer simultaneously.”
The Woolworths Group red meat business Greenstock managing director Anna Speer said, “Animal welfare is not only crucial to our business, but our customers rightly expect that the animals in our supply chain have the best possible lives we can give them, in partnership with our suppliers.”
“This is an exciting industry-led advancement, which demonstrates pork producers’ commitment to animal welfare, and we commend SunPork on leading this breakthrough.
“We’re thrilled to see SunPork bring this innovation to market, and we’d love to see similar solutions used more broadly across the industry in future to improve the lives of all pigs.”
Through the introduction of the new maternity ring, SunPork intends to gradually transition its entire operations to be 100 percent crate and stall-free.
To ensure commercial viability, key criteria for the development of the maternity ring included maintaining the current farrowing footprint, ensuring the safety of employees and achieving a transition cost equal to the replacement cost of current farrowing crates to deliver a compelling solution for all of industry.
SunPork’s scientific research to demonstrate the animal welfare outcomes of the maternity ring compared to farrowing crates was published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science in August 2024.
It identified key benefits of the maternity ring, including:
- Greater range of movement available to sows
- Improved physical condition of sows
- Higher lactation efficiency of sows
- Reduction in stress-related behaviours in sows
- Lower conflict between piglets
- Patterns of feeding aligned more closely with weaning in the wild
- Improved piglet weight
- Lower use of medication for piglets
- More interaction and bonding between sow and piglets.
As a result of the science-based welfare benefits delivered by Sunpork’s maternity ring, RSPCA Australia has expressed its support for the technology to replace farrowing crates.
SunPork unveiled the maternity ring and the scientific data behind it at a meeting of Australian Pork Limited delegates in mid-October.
Following its own extensive research and development, SunPork is sharing the blueprint and evidence for the maternity rings with the broader pork industry to support improved sow welfare across Australia.
Dr van Barneveld said, “People may be surprised to hear that we’re sharing this design and our know-how with our peers and competitors, but we believe we have an obligation to make this pathway to close confinement-free pork available to the entire industry.”
“For us, animal welfare is a collective pursuit, not a marketing tool.
“Now that we have found an alternative, the industry needs adequate time to consider the options and if they choose to change, then adopt the new alternative.”
SunPork has engaged Stockyard Industries in Queensland to manufacture and sell the maternity rings to other pork producers.
It intends to support training and development for those interested in implementing the technology, including through the University of Adelaide Roseworthy piggery, which is operated by SunPork.
