‘Better Together' is the international strategy of the Royal Agrifirm Group that aims to create a socially-responsible food chain for future generations.

TOP approach and 1inMelk

In North West Europe – and specifically in the Netherlands – the world of livestock farmers and growers is becoming more and more complex. Increasing sustainability, social challenges, and tighter legislation and regulations at regional, national, and European level are putting pressure on the revenue model of agricultural entrepreneurs. At the beginning of 2018 all products and services for livestock farmers and growers from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany were integrated in the new Agrifirm North West Europe region. The  wishes and ambitions of agricultural entrepreneurs form the starting point for the TOP approach that has been developed by combining and optimizing all the knowledge and products.

With TOP (Total Solutions, Totale OPlossingen in Dutch), Agrifirm is able to deliver the total solution with knowledge, concepts, and data. To this end, specialists combine their expertise in roughage, organic manure, crop and soil optimization, the processing of residual flows into wet feeds by subsidiary Bonda, and knowledge in the field of green energy, emission-free animal housing, and entrepreneurial advice from Agrifirm Exlan. This TOP approach provides an integral answer to all customer questions relating to soil, animals, crops, and entrepreneurship. In this way, Agrifirm creates added value for livestock farmers and growers and is dedicated to further develop expertise that will result in a good revenue model for a circular agrofood system

The TOP approach is in line with the wish expressed in the spring of 2018 by the farming members of the Agrifirm cooperative that they would like to achieve a circular agrofood system in the Netherlands that is based on a profitable revenue model and that contributes to the recently-published vision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality.

Since all specialisms work under one roof according to a single uniform method, the various specialists can be flexibly deployed according to the customers' needs. The teams work on a regional basis, operate close to the agricultural entrepreneurs, and are locally involved through the cooperative.

1inMilk: Optimum feed balance per kg of phosphate right

Working alongside the dairy farmer, Agrifirm uses 1inMilk to achieve the optimum feed balance per kg of phosphate right. Tailored to the wishes and business operations of the dairy farmer, a tailor-made combination of products, concepts, specialized advice, and tools (including monitoring tools) is offered. The optimization of roughage cultivation is an important priority in this respect; Agrifirm advises the farmer on how to optimize his roughage cultivation and adjusts the concentrated feed accordingly. The recently introduced TMR Constant concept is a good example of this. Farmers  use this to get as much milk as possible using their own roughage. Together with the farmer, Agrifirm focuses on growing the best roughage that fits in with the TMR Constant feeding system instead of the roughage being considered an uncontrolled element. The new TOP approach and the intensive cooperation between feed and plant-based specialists paves the way for further roughage concept innovations.

Within 1inMilk, Agrifirm offers concepts for every stage of a cow's life, from calf to lactating cow, and for every feeding system, from TMR to an automated feeding system. In addition, Agrifirm provides the dairy farmer with a team of specialists, including roughage and TMR Constant specialists, to help them implement these concepts. The results are continuously monitored in order to achieve measurable and relevant value in line with the dairy farmer's entrepreneurial objectives.

UniQ and Aim for Zero programme

Worldwide, the use of zinc and antibiotics during the weaning of pigs is under pressure. Agrifirm and Nuscience, a subsidiary of Royal Agrifirm Group, worked together on a total approach for pig farmers and feed manufacturers to help them achieve the target of ‘zero' antibiotics and zinc by means of total solutions.

In early 2018, this resulted in the launch of the piglet quality programme UniQ in North West Europe with a focus on the highest quality piglets. Through this programme, Agrifirm aims to prevent the use of antibiotics and zinc while maximizing income over feed cost per square metre for pig farmers. In the autumn, Nuscience launched the Aim for Zero programme aimed at self-mixers and compound feed companies. This total solution combines nutritional and management advice with a good safety concept called Vitazero.

Royal Agrifirm Group's knowledge sharing and innovative strength extends from applied knowledge at the farm to co-creation with compound feed companies. The short lead time of the programmes aimed at reduction confirms the synergy effects that lead to integrated solutions with added value for both agricultural entrepreneurs and society as a whole.

Circular chain partnership: Protix

Last Monday, Agrifirm announced a circular chain partnership with Protix, the first and largest producer of certified, high-quality, and sustainable insect components in Europe. The parties have pooled their ambitions and knowledge to develop new feed and chain concepts based on insect-sourced ingredients and to further develop existing ones for the various sectors, as well as circular soil improvers.

The focus of Agrifirm will be predominantly on improving soil and animal health, animal performance, and applicability to the farm. The insect components offer among other things a rich source of highly-digestible proteins of Dutch origin. Besides supplying insect components Protix will in this collaboration mainly focus on commercializing chain concepts, such as the recently introduced ‘OER' egg (a special egg from chickens fed on insects), to the retail and/or wholesale chains.

Agrifirm is keen to offer added value through cooperation between livestock farmers and growers by helping to further develop new chain concepts in addition to existing chain concepts. In addition, Agrifirm and Nuscience – in collaboration with Protix – are investigating the possibilities for the applicability of insect ingredients in functional applications.

Agrifirm and its subsidiary Bonda will also supply plant based waste streams (for example from the food industry) to Protix that will serve as feed for the insects. Agrifirm will use the  insect substrate at the end of the cultivation process for soil improvement and additional applications that are expected as a result of field tests.

The expectation is that the cooperation between the various Agrifirm companies and Protix will result in integrated agricultural and feed solutions with added value for the agricultural entrepreneurs. With this collaboration Agrifirm is a step closer to the actual realization of circular agriculture.