What the Vall Companys Innova Awards Are All About
Every year Vall Companys, a big Catalan food‑company that works with more than 1,500 pig farms, runs a contest called Innova. The goal is simple: encourage anyone who works with the animals – farmers, vets, agronomists – to come up with new ideas that make pig farming healthier, easier, and more profitable. Winners get cash prizes and the chance to see their projects used on real farms.
First‑Place Winner: VallChat – The Farm‑Talk App
How It Started
The idea for VallChat grew out of informal coffee‑break chats during training workshops that began in 2016. Anna Barbé, who leads the Campus Farm program, says the team wanted a quick way for farmers and vets to share information without endless phone calls or paperwork.
What It Does
- Lets a farmer send a message to a vet asking for advice on a sick pig.
- Enables the vet to request a feed delivery or check water usage with just a few taps.
- Stores data such as feed amounts, water consumption, and health alerts so decisions are based on real numbers.
Where It’s Used Now
After a successful trial in fattening pig houses, VallChat is being rolled out in sow (mother pig) units. New features like water‑quality analytics and predictive alerts are already in development.
Second‑Place Winner: HepatoVall – A Vitamin Boost for Sows
The Problem
During the last third of pregnancy and the first week after giving birth, sows can suffer from stress and nutrient gaps, which sometimes leads to higher mortality.
The Solution
HepatoVall is a water‑soluble vitamin complex that farmers add to the sows’ feed during that critical period. Trials showed a clear drop in sow deaths, which also meant healthier piglets and lower costs for the farm.
Why It Matters
Beyond animal welfare, the supplement improves productivity – more piglets survive to weaning, and the farm gets a better return on its feed investment.
Other Notable Projects From Past Innova Rounds
AGC Iberian Pig Selection Program
This project builds a constantly updated database that tracks genetics, reproductive performance, and health of Iberian pigs. By picking the best‑performing animals for breeding, the program helps produce stronger litters while keeping inbreeding under control.
What’s Happening at the Third Innova Edition?
When and Where
The 2026 event kicks off this Tuesday in Lleida and will bring together over 100 vets, agronomists, and representatives from Vall Companys’ Latin‑American operations.
Agenda Highlights
- Review of previous winners’ progress.
- Presentation of about ten new ideas competing for the 2026 prize – ranging from feed‑management tricks to new weaning rules and even staff‑rotation plans on farms.
- Award ceremony: 1st place gets €3,000, 2nd place €2,000, and 3rd place €1,000.
Why Teens Should Care
Innovation in agriculture isn’t just about tractors and feed bags – it’s also about apps, data science, and nutrition science. The kinds of projects celebrated by Innova show how creativity and teamwork can solve real‑world problems, improve animal welfare, and make food production more sustainable. If you’re interested in tech, biology, or environmental issues, these stories illustrate a career path where you can combine all three.
Conclusion
Vall Companys’ Innova awards prove that great ideas can start anywhere – even over a coffee break – and grow into tools that help farmers, vets, and animals alike. From a simple chat app that speeds up daily tasks to a vitamin mix that saves sow lives, the program is turning curiosity into concrete improvements on the farm. As the competition continues each year, it keeps the whole pork‑production community looking forward to the next smart solution.
Reference: Source
Images Credit: www.diariodeibiza.es