UK feeding industries rely heavily on imported soya bean meal (SBM) as the main protein source in monogastric feeds, including for pigs.
SRUC researchers worked with a large consortium of academic and industry-relevant organisations on the Green Pig project to investigate whether home-grown peas and faba beans could replace SBM in grower and finisher diets.
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Pulses are leguminous crops harvested for dry protein-rich seed, with peas (pisum sativum) and beans (vicia faba) being the major crops in the UK.
There are around 4.76 million pigs kept on agricultural holdings in the UK. With the UK pork market valued at £1.44 billion in 2020 (Statista).
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) was established in 2012 through the merger of the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) with Barony, Elmwood and Oatridge Colleges. Through these institutions, we can trace our lineage back over 100 years.
The livestock industry is an integral part of the agricultural sector, encompassing various aspects of animal husbandry and production. It plays an important role in global food security and supports the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide.
Animal nutrition plays a crucial role in livestock agriculture for several reasons, as it directly impacts the health, productivity, and overall wellbeing of farm animals.
Field beans (vicia faba) are a widely grown break crop across the UK on around 170,000 ha.
