A study on lightweight piglets (22-29 days old) showed that short-term feeding of a Pig Milk Replacer (PMR) significantly accelerated growth and improved economic efficiency. PMR usage led to a 21.1% increase in live weight after the nursery phase (29.8 kg vs. 24.6 kg) and a 6.1% increase at finishing (129.3 kg vs. 121.8 kg). The Average Daily Gain rose by 6.4% (49.7 g), while herd survival remained stable at 93.0%. Despite a 1.9% higher cost share for starter feeds, faster growth resulted in an earlier transition to cheaper rations, driving down overall costs. Total lifetime feed consumption was 1.5% lower (318.8 kg vs. 323.6 kg). The economic impact was substantial: the Feed Conversion Ratio improved from 2.8 to 2.6. Consequently, the feed cost per 1 kg of live weight dropped from 0.90 EUR to 0.85 EUR. Profit per head increased by 10.88 EUR to 44.82 EUR, and profitability soared from 31.0% to 42.9%. Thus, short-term PMR use is an economically sound practice that significantly boosts profitability.
This study investigates the resilience of rice farmers and the influence of five livelihood assets such as social, human, natural, physical, and financial across upland, inland, and coastal landscapes in Hinunangan, Southern Leyte, Philippines. Using the Torrens Resilience Institute (TRI) framework, data were collected from 277 rice farmers across 41 barangays through proportionate stratified sampling and Slovin's formula. Results indicate that overall resilience indicators including connectedness, risk/vulnerability, procedures, and resources had mean scores of 161.1, 154.8, and 161.7 for upland, inland, and coastal areas, respectively, situating farmers in the caution zone, the second-highest resilience level. Among the assets assessed, financial, natural, and human assets exhibited the strongest correlations with resilience, whereas social and physical assets showed no significant associations in certain contexts. Based on these findings, policy recommendations focus on strengthening social assets through formalized community networks, farmer cooperatives, and structured knowledge-sharing platforms. Resilience programs should be tailored to local contexts, with upland areas emphasizing financial, natural, and human assets, inland areas prioritizing physical infrastructure and social support systems, and coastal areas targeting human, natural, and physical assets. In addition, integrated resilience strategies that combine asset development, risk management, and efficient resource allocation are essential to help farmers progress from the caution zone to higher levels of resilience.
The present study assesses the impact of mechanisation on labour employment in Bulgarian agriculture during 2016-2023, at national and regional (NUTS3) levels. Mechanisation is measured through the number of newly registered machines (total and by type: tractors, combine harvesters, loaders). Official annual data are used from National Statistical Institute and Ministry of Agriculture and Food (NSI, MAF). The methodological framework includes analysis of trends and structure, correlation analysis for the entire period and the sub-periods 2016-2019 and 2020-2023, as well as regression estimates with focus on economic interpretation and regional heterogeneity. The results show sustained growth in mechanisation alongside a parallel decline in employment. At national level, a moderate but statistically insignificant negative relationship is established between overall mechanisation and employment. After 2020, however, the relationship intensifies sharply to a very strong negative correlation, corresponding to accelerated technological adaptation under conditions of labour shortage and rising labour costs. By type of machinery, the effects are differentiated: loaders have the strongest and statistically significant substitution effect; combine harvesters-moderate negative; tractors-practically zero. Regional profiles of mechanisation and employment differ substantially, but the limited length and aggregation of the series prevent a full-scale panel test. The conclusions emphasise that mechanisation is not the sole determinant of employment, but its influence is contextual and increases after 2020. Policies should combine support for modernisation with investments in human capital (training/retraining), regional targeting and measures to mitigate social effects in rural areas.
The aim of this study is to demonstrate how Lean philosophy, and methods can enhance operations in a non-typical production environment. Growing vegetables, especially lettuce and herbs, is a process in terms of production, but it has its distinctive features compared to, for example, assembly production. The research considering small and medium scale producers, like Finnish horticulture farmers, is totally absent. The novelty of this article lies in introducing the use of Lean to make horticulture processes more efficient and to minimize production loss.In Finland, the degree of domestic production of potted vegetables is almost 100%. Ensuring functionality and reducing waste throughout the supply chain are crucial. Finnish trade is highly consolidated, with two large retailing chains dominating the market. These large operators provide guidelines forprimary producers. In practice, the primary producer, i.e., the farmer, always tends to comply and, at the same time, adjust greenhouse production according to what needs to be delivered and when. This study introduces a case study of a transition process to continuous improvement, Kaizen, in a Finnish greenhouse vegetable-growing production company. This includes the selection of methods as well as changing the organizational culture. The company has gradually introduced various methods of continuous improvement to proceed with a more sustainable way of production, in which the researcher has become involved as an external facilitator. Especially, the qualitative study focuses on how the company creates value for the customers, the possibilities of various continuous improvement methods and their importance in greenhouse production and there is positive financial impact to use the methods.
This research analyzes the evolution and level of sustainability of the pig sector in Romania compared to the European Union, by integrating the structural and ecological dimensions of the livestock activity. The research is based on a descriptive-comparative statistical approach, using official data from Eurostat sources for the period 2016-2024. The total pig population and the main animal categories were analyzed, along with ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, considered essential indicators for assessing the ecological pressure of production. Based on this information, derived indicators were calculated-the rate of variation of the population, the intensity of emissions related to the population and the ratio between greenhouse gas emissions and ammonia-in order to capture the dynamics of structural and environmental sustainability. The results show a clear difference between Romania and the European Union average in terms of the pace of adaptation to sustainability objectives. The European Union has recorded a moderate but controlled reduction in livestock numbers, accompanied by a steady decrease in specific emissions, which indicates a technological and ecological efficiency of production. In contrast, Romania has experienced a sharp decline in livestock numbers, accompanied by a higher emission intensity, caused by the predominance of traditional farms and the slow adoption of modern manure management technologies. The climate report confirms that, in Romania, local pollution continues to dominate the contribution to the greenhouse effect, while the European Union is moving towards a balance between local and global impacts. The analysis highlights that the transition to sustainability in the pig sector does not depend exclusively on reducing livestock numbers, but on the capacity for technological modernization and integration of circular economy principles. Romania is on a convergent trajectory with European trends, but maintaining this direction requires strategically oriented investments, the consolidation of commercial farms and the development of ecological infrastructure. Research demonstrates that the sustainability of the pig sector can only be achieved by balancing economic, social and environmental dimensions, within an agricultural policy that favors innovation and ecological responsibility.
