Bühler has developed a string of technologies and capabilities to offer total rearing and processing solutions for the insect industry. “Our proposition to the market is to support the industry through solutions that produce and process a range of insect species,” says Andreas Aepli, CEO Bühler Insect Technology Solutions. The first industrial black soldier fly plant has already opened in June this year. Bühler is now in the execution of a new facility for a second species, the yellow mealworm.
Livestock production, especially the pig industry, is under enormous pressure because the already tight margins continue to decline – in particular in Europe. While retail prices for pork have remained broadly stable, farm gate prices for pigs have plunged to levels where many producers are struggling to break even. Furthermore, production costs are on the rise, since grain prices have increased substantially, and feed makes up 75% of the cost to produce pig meat. That is why the number of pig producers, who have already de-stocked or are leaving the industry completely, is rising. These producers are now looking for alternative but more sustainable businesses, in which they can leverage their animal farming skills.