Jordi Camp, European Nutritionist Manager
As part of the technical support provided to customers, PIC’s nutritionists play a crucial role. Jordi Camp Montoro, based in Spain, supports the European market. Ensuring proper nutrition is key to achieving the best results with PIC genetics. His main advice: pay special attention to gilts.
Dr Jordi Camp Montoro has been working at PIC since 2022 as a Nutritionist Manager for customers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEAR). He studied veterinary medicine at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and obtained a Ph.D. in pig nutrition. Camp conducted research at Schothorst Feed Research in Lelystad, among other institutions. He is part of PIC’s global nutrition team, which consists of around ten experts.
What does your job involve?
“As a team, we provide technical support on nutrition to our customers, including genetic customers, feed manufacturers, and integrators. We also conduct research to continuously improve feeding recommendations for different lines. Since 2016, we have conducted more than 120 studies involving a total of 150,000 pigs, often in collaboration with feed manufacturers, universities, and customers. Some of these studies have been published in scientific journals or presented at scientific conferences. Additionally, we maintain PIC’s nutrition guidelines and offer tools for customers to optimize feeding programs for our genetics. These are regularly updated based on recent research, regional differences, and market prices.”
Pig farming varies significantly in terms of housing and feed production, especially in Europe. How does that affect your work?
“We have to adapt to these differences. Our approach is always tailored to specific circumstances. In the Netherlands, we primarily work with nutritionists from compound feed manufacturers, whereas in Spain, integrators play a more prominent role. We also have to consider different regulations and requirements, such as the European ban on zinc oxide. That’s why we always customize our services to meet customer needs.”
What are the most important topics you are currently focusing on?
“Globally, but particularly in Europe, there is an increasing demand for robust sows with a long lifespan. This is important both economically and in terms of sustainability. Our recommendations reflect this. It all starts with proper gilt development, which is sometimes underestimated.
For optimal gilt and sow nutrition, condition scoring is essential. Condition scoring is the process of assessing the body condition of pigs to ensure they are neither too thin nor too fat, using a standardized evaluation method. We find the caliper to be an excellent tool—it’s a simple measuring device that allows farmers to objectively assess body condition at a glance.
We are also working on improving birth weights and piglet survival rates. This requires high milk production, which in turn demands high feed intake and the right feed composition for sows. Maximizing feed intake also prevents excessive weight and condition loss, leading to better performance in subsequent litters.”
The CO2 footprint is becoming an increasingly important issue in Europe. What does that mean for your work?
“Efficient production is always beneficial for improving sustainability. Selecting for high growth and feed efficiency helps farmers reduce their CO2 footprint. However, focusing on these traits must be accompanied by nutritional adjustments to meet the pigs’ dietary needs. In some cases, if these needs are not met, negative effects on animal behaviour can occur, especially during early production phases when pigs have high growth potential.”
What can pig farmers improve on?
“The weight of gilts at first insemination remains a key focus. Heavier gilts (>160 kg) tend to develop into large sows, which affects feeding strategies. Regularly monitoring body condition is also crucial for adjusting feeding programs. In general, sows are more often overfed than underfed.
During first lactation, achieving high enough feed intake is critical to minimizing body condition loss. This impacts the quality of subsequent litters and improves sow longevity. Maintaining an ideal body condition around farrowing and maximizing feed intake during lactation should be a priority.
For growing pigs, we see that farmers do not always fully utilize the piglets’ growth potential during the nursery phase. Growth potential refers to a piglet’s ability to efficiently convert feed into body mass. Young piglets are highly efficient at converting feed into growth.”
Do you have any additional tips or advice for pig farmers?
“We have an enormous amount of information available to optimize production. Much of it is included in the manuals for PIC genetics. However, these resources are not always fully utilized, or farmers may not be aware of their existence. As nutritionists, we are always ready to assist customers in getting the best performance from their animals.”
