Two-tonne sow – but UK still needs to catch up

UK pig farmers have got a bit of catching up to do in terms of the amount of pig meat produced a sow a year, according to BPEX‘s Mike Varley speaking at the launch of the “two tonne sow”.

“Technical advances mean we can’t be resting on our laurels. We have got to move forward and this is why producers should be targeting two tonnes of pigmeat a sow a year to bring us into line with many competitor countries.

“The number of piglets produced per sow a year is irrelevant, it’s kilos of meat on the truck a sow that really matters,” he said.

In the UK, in 2008 UK pig farmers were producing on average 1600kg a sow a year compared to Italy, which was averaging 2681kg. “The potential is there, so as an industry we need to be putting things in place to drive these figures.”

And Dr Varley believed if farmers were to calculate productivity based on kilograms of pigmeat, many farmers would get an unpleasant surprise. “Many farmers are nowhere near the two-tonne target, but we have the technology, so we can make it happen.”

Key factors involved in achieving the two-tonne target include genetics, numbers born live a litter, birthweights, litter variation, mortality, growth rates, slaughter weights and health status. And farrowing index was one area Dr Varley believed producers could particularly target. “Fertility may have slipped back so we need to press harder to get farrowing rates of 90%.”

Gilt management was also an area of focus, explained Dr Varley. “If we can get gilts off to a good start it will stand them in good stead for future parity’s.”

Dr Varley hoped by the end of this year farmers would be averaging 1800kg and after two years two tonnes. But for this to be a success the industry needed to work together, he said. “We will be working with processors shortly to work towards a common goal.”

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