Pig industry body BPEX has this week released its ‘Pig Yearbook,’ which, the organisation claims, provides up to date information on all aspect of production, giving farmers insight into “Everything [they] ever wanted to know about the pig industry but didn’t know where to find.”

The data used in the Yearbook has been collated by the Market Intelligence section of the AHDB, of which BPEX is a division. The report gives a range of industry statistics, financial data and international comparisons.

It also provides information on farrowing rates, litters per sow per year, pigs born alive per litter, mortality rates, feed conversion ratio, daily liveweight gain, average carcase weight and more.

BPEX analysts said this information contributes towards building a picture of the overall performance and health of the sector. Senior analyst Stephen Howarth said, "Perhaps the most important indicator of sow productivity is the number of piglets born alive per litter. In 2011, this averaged 11.4 and the figure has increased over recent years from a low point of 10.7 in 2004.

"The number of piglets born alive per litter was significantly higher for indoor herds (11.9) than outdoor herds (10.8), although this difference may be somewhat overstated given the greater difficulty monitoring farrowing in outdoor herds. In 2011, the top third of producers were able to produce an average of 12.17 piglets per litter while the best tenth reached 12.73."

In the UK, a continued shortage of pigs but static demand has this week translated into a penny rise for some producers; the average base price is currently 151 pence. High feed costs continue to affect producers in the sector. Analysts from the UK have suggested an upturn in the weather could prove a boon for producers, but in the short term, no such heatwave is predicted.   

Whilst recent reports, including the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Livestock’s Long Shadow study, have raised concerns over the expansion and future sustainability of the global meat industry, BPEX officials have said that the sector is rising to the challenge of increasing sustainability. BPX director Mick Sloyan stated earlier this month that a pig industry report had taken on board concerns raised by the FAO and would “Present an overview of the global impact that pig production has on the environment and specifically the emission of Green House Gases.”

Tweet