“Current high feed prices mean that it is more important than ever to know the return on the feed purchased for the business. “After all, feed costs equate to over 60% of the cost of production,” the company states on its website. JSR suggests that a farmer uses invoices generated over at least a six-month period in order to make your calculations.
Read: Computerised livestock weighing
The information required is tons of feed purchased (don’t include sow feed), number of animals sold and average dead or live weight of animals sold. Producers can use the information acquired to monitor unit profitability and, if necessary, improve efficiency. They can also compare their figures with those of other producers.
Performance and profitability
Another useful online tool for this industry is the Alltech pig performance and profitability calculator. “Efficiency and profitability are two fundamentals within today’s highly competitive, global pig industry,” says Alltech. “It is crucial for every successful pig producer to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) of their animal production and benchmark them against industry standards.” The Alltech calculator is designed to help identify KPIs that are below the target and to calculate the cost associated with differences in performance.
Read: Practical apps for farmers
Free on-farm assessment
“It is well-tailored to the individual producer’s goals, ambitions and capacities” explains Matthew Smith, Alltech’s regional director for the Asia-Pacific region. He goes on to say that the calculator can show farmers the opportunities they have for making more money. According to Saskia Corbett of Alltech South Africa, the program is not yet available for purchase. However, Alltech will come to your farm, perform a free assessment and valuation using the program, and advise you of any shortfalls and solutions to improve profitability.
For more information visit www.jsrgenetics.com
