Breeding sow performance – lack of significant productivity gains for past three years

Sow performance at an industry level (indoor and outdoor sows) has continued at a similar level for the past three years (2019-2021 inclusive). Latest figures from AgroVision on the performance of GB pig producers continues to show a lack of significant productivity gains in the breeding herd.

The latest figures for 2021 are 26.3 pigs weaned per sow per year. In 2019 this was 26.1 and in 2020 26.2. After the mortality figures for the rearing and finishing stages, the overall GB pig industry performance was 24.3 pigs sold per sow per year for each of the three years between 2019 and 2021 inclusive.

Indoor herds have shown a small increase, with pigs weaned per sow per year increasing to 27.7 in 2021 compared to 27.5 in 2019 and 27.4 in 2020. After rearing and finishing mortality this resulted in 25.6 pigs sold per sow per year in 2021, compared to 25.5 in 2019 and 25.4 in 2020.

Outdoor herds have shown a small decrease, with pigs weaned per sow per year decreasing to 24.3 in 2021 compared to 24.1 in 2019 and 24.4 in 2020. After rearing and finishing mortality this resulted in 22.4 pigs sold per sow per year in 2021, compared to 22.4 in 2019 and 22.6 in 2020.

The lack of improvement leads to performance that is below many EU competitors, as can be seen in the most recent cost of production in selected countries report. However, given the extreme difficulties the pig industry experienced in 2021, even if the breeding sow performance had been equivalent to the GB indoor top third, it would not have been sufficient to result in positive margins.

If the overall industry had achieved an equivalent to the GB indoor top third of 31 piglets weaned per sow per year this would have decreased the cost of production by 7.5p per kg. This would have positively changed margins by £7 per slaughter pig but would have had a limited impact when estimated margins are -£39 per slaughter pig for 2021 Q4.

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