Ulbroka: A Complete Pig Farm and Feed Mill Built for Farm-to-Fork Production

1,100 sows and a flexible SKIOLD feed mill producing up to 7 tonnes of feed per hour

Ulbroka farm in Latvia, owned by Aivars Kokts, is a modern full-line pig farm with approximately 1,100 sows and production from weaners to finishers.

The farm was developed around a clear vision: to control as much of the pork production process as possible – from growing crops and producing feed to pig production, slaughter and local distribution.

A key part of this strategy is the farm's own SKIOLD feed mill, which gives Ulbroka full control over feed quality and allows the farm to produce fresh feed from its own and purchased raw materials.

From field to fork

Ulbroka has adopted a genuine farm-to-fork approach.

The farm produces part of the raw materials for its own feed, mixes the feed on the farm and operates its own slaughterhouse. Meat is supplied to local butcher shops and meat processors, creating a traceable production chain from farm to consumer.

The farm has also invested in a biogas plant, using manure to produce electricity and heat for the farm.

This integrated approach gives Ulbroka greater control over food quality, production costs and the use of resources while reducing the need for transport when products are sold locally.

A flexible and scalable feed mill

When investing in feed production, Aivars Kokts wanted a solution that was both flexible and scalable.

The SKIOLD feed mill has a production capacity of up to 7 tonnes of finished feed per hour and is designed to handle several processes efficiently and simultaneously.

The complete installation includes:

• Raw material intake
• Grain cleaning
• Grain drying
• Outdoor buffer silos for the dryer
• Storage silos with temperature monitoring
• Conveying equipment
• SKIOLD SK10T Disc Mill
• Proportioning silos and macro weighing bin
• Three-step horizontal mixer
• WB500 premix weighing bin with 12 premix hoppers
• Micro dosing for micro minerals
• Manual hopper for special raw materials
• Oil addition
• 11 finished feed silos
• FlexMix Pro process control system

The complete system provides Ulbroka with control over the entire feed production process, from raw materials to finished feed.

Efficient feed production with flexible process flows

An important part of the feed mill design is the flexibility of the transport routes.

Grain intake, drying and conveying grain from the storage silos to the feed mill can take place simultaneously. This reduces waiting time between processes and helps prevent unnecessary production stoppages.

The entire feed mill is controlled by SKIOLD FlexMix Pro, providing an overview of production and traceability of the raw materials used.

For Ulbroka, this combination of automation and flexible process design supports efficient daily operation while leaving room for future development.

Full control over feed quality

For Aivars Kokts, controlling feed quality is a fundamental part of efficient pig production.

Producing feed on the farm allows Ulbroka to control the quality of the raw materials, the grinding process, dosing and mixing while ensuring a fresh supply of feed for the animals.

“Having total control over the quality of the feed is very important, and on-farm mixing ensures the best raw material quality and fresh feed for the animals.”

— Aivars Kokts, Ulbroka farm

The feed production process is built around three essential steps: proportioning, grinding and mixing. The SKIOLD solution combines these processes in one integrated system.

A modern and integrated pig farm

The Ulbroka project goes beyond feed production.

The farm combines crop production, feed production, pig production, slaughter and local distribution with energy production from biogas.

This integrated setup gives the farm control over a large part of the value chain and supports the owner's ambition to produce traceable pork with a focus on efficiency, food quality and local production.

The scale and integrated nature of the project also attracted attention from the Latvian Minister of Agriculture, Jānis Dūklavs, who attended the official opening of the farm.

Results

The Ulbroka project provides:

• 1,100-sow full-line pig production
• Production from weaners to finishers
• Farm-to-fork production approach
• Control over feed quality and raw materials
• On-farm feed production
• Scalable feed mill with a capacity of up to 7 t/h
• Flexible transport routes allowing several processes to run simultaneously
• Own slaughterhouse and local distribution
• Biogas production from manure

A complete solution for integrated pig production

Ulbroka demonstrates how combining feed production with other parts of the value chain can give a pig producer greater control over quality, production and costs.

The SKIOLD feed mill is an important part of this strategy, providing flexible and reliable on-farm feed production with the capacity to support a large full-line pig operation.

For Ulbroka, producing its own feed is not simply a way of supplying the animals. It is a central part of the farm-to-fork concept and the ambition to control the entire production chain.

Facts

• Location: Latvia
• Farm: Ulbroka
• Owner: Aivars Kokts
• Production: Full-line pig production
• Sows: Approx. 1,100
• Feed mill: SKIOLD on farm feed mill
• Feed mill capacity: Up to 7 t/h
• Other activities: Crop production, slaughterhouse and local meat distribution
• Energy: Biogas production from manure

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