Disease Threat to Financial Recovery
Although pig prices have now moved into the black many producers are now facing a number of new challenges on the disease front.
PRRS or “Blue Ear Disease” continues to affect herd health and performance and although this virus has to some extent been forgotten with the arrival of PDNS and PMWS it still represents a major hazard.
The virus is present at varying levels on most breeding units and there are now very few Blue Ear Negative herds left in the UK. It remains highly infectious and is spread by close contact between pigs. But not all the pigs within the same air space will necessarily be affected because of its non contagious nature.
The affected progeny pigs will display respiratory and flu like symptoms and remain particularly vulnerable during the post weaning nursery stage. This then transfers into the finishing house with increased coughing, reduced growth rates, higher mortality and extended slaughter periods.
Pigs from different sources can multiply the effects of the virus within a single unit and mixing pigs is to be avoided if possible – uneven aged pigs should not be penned within the same air space.
Continuous units remain more vulnerable than “all in – all out” systems where there is time and space to wash and disinfect pens before re-filling.
PDNS and PMWS are still hitting many East Anglian herds with reports of up to 30% mortality in the worst cases. Some progress is being made towards limiting the effects of the virus by high in-feed medication levels and switching to a lower stress five-week weaning system.
However the effects of these virus attacks coupled with the decline in the size of the UK herd is putting the squeeze on the slaughtering sector. The weekly kill seems to be heading for the 220,000 mark which represents a drop of 30% compared with two years earlier.
Partly because of the pig shortage UK prices have remained firm at a time of year when they usually slide. This weeks AESA took a 56p lift to hit 101.53p/kg deadweight and spot quotes have been forced to stick close to contract prices to get the numbers needed.
Malton and a number of other major abattoirs are looking at ways in which slaughter weights can be upped to keep tonnages through their plants as high as possible in the face of dwindling numbers. There are some new contract offers on the table including a “gilts only” spec which will allow producers to take pigs as heavy as 90kg deadweight and receive a premium of between 2-5p/kg over the AESA. This would value a top weight gilt at close to 90 if it made the grade at a 12mm P2.
Weaner quotes are also remaining firm and the Farmers Weekly average for a 30kg ex farm store pig is 34 with 7kg pigs priced between 21-24 according to region and quality.