There has to be something different about an industry that imports its energy and protein feedstuffs and exports its output. But that, in essence, is the current state of the Irish pig industry. The pre-EU days of the home market being artificially expensive so that the exports could be subsidised have been replaced by an industry that is among the most technically efficient in the world, with the largest average herd size in Europe. The other day, I was glad to accept an invitation to have a proper look at one of these farms.
The many thousands of small scale units that used to exist have been replaced by just 300 modern operators, but with the number of sows staying roughly constant and national output actually increasing. It had been quite a while since I was on a commercial pig farm. I was, like most people I suspect, only hazily aware of the progress that has been made over a comparatively short number of years, in terms of productivity, computerisation and adherence to new animal welfare rules.
For instance, I was unaware that there was now a technology that allowed the floor under lactating sows to be automatically raised, so that the sow would not crush suckling piglets when she lay down. Neither was I aware that computerised feeding systems delivered liquid feed up to 11 times a day, to ensure consistency and freshness.
Breeding and development
There has also been very significant and continuous progress on the breeding side. Ireland has a history of pig breeding excellence, with the Nolan Hermitage operation having international customers and credibility. Their influence still continues, even though the firm has been taken over, but the progress in sow prolifically and conformation has been striking.
It’s not that long ago that 20 pigs reared per sow per year was excellent – now our top producers are above 30.
The development of the Irish pig industry is a classic case of a world class enterprise, with a necessarily ruthless concentration on efficiency, while coping with ever more stringent environmental and animal welfare regulations. It is also a sector that has had a large input into the well-regarded Teagasc research and advisory agendas – both financially and intellectually.
Many will see it as a headline to be followed more widely in the farming sector, but there have also been casualties, as the decline in numbers graphically shows, with many, especially smaller producers, unable to make a consistent profit or cope with the steep fluctuations in prices of both feedstuffs and pigmeat.
It has many of the characteristics of the poultry industry and some of the modern Irish dairy industry, but it has little in common with the Irish beef sector, with its lack of measurement and follow through across many aspects of breeding and production.
Read more
Pig prices steady but disruption across EU
There has to be something different about an industry that imports its energy and protein feedstuffs and exports its output. But that, in essence, is the current state of the Irish pig industry. The pre-EU days of the home market being artificially expensive so that the exports could be subsidised have been replaced by an industry that is among the most technically efficient in the world, with the largest average herd size in Europe. The other day, I was glad to accept an invitation to have a proper look at one of these farms.
The many thousands of small scale units that used to exist have been replaced by just 300 modern operators, but with the number of sows staying roughly constant and national output actually increasing. It had been quite a while since I was on a commercial pig farm. I was, like most people I suspect, only hazily aware of the progress that has been made over a comparatively short number of years, in terms of productivity, computerisation and adherence to new animal welfare rules.
For instance, I was unaware that there was now a technology that allowed the floor under lactating sows to be automatically raised, so that the sow would not crush suckling piglets when she lay down. Neither was I aware that computerised feeding systems delivered liquid feed up to 11 times a day, to ensure consistency and freshness.
Breeding and development
There has also been very significant and continuous progress on the breeding side. Ireland has a history of pig breeding excellence, with the Nolan Hermitage operation having international customers and credibility. Their influence still continues, even though the firm has been taken over, but the progress in sow prolifically and conformation has been striking.
It’s not that long ago that 20 pigs reared per sow per year was excellent – now our top producers are above 30.
The development of the Irish pig industry is a classic case of a world class enterprise, with a necessarily ruthless concentration on efficiency, while coping with ever more stringent environmental and animal welfare regulations. It is also a sector that has had a large input into the well-regarded Teagasc research and advisory agendas – both financially and intellectually.
Many will see it as a headline to be followed more widely in the farming sector, but there have also been casualties, as the decline in numbers graphically shows, with many, especially smaller producers, unable to make a consistent profit or cope with the steep fluctuations in prices of both feedstuffs and pigmeat.
It has many of the characteristics of the poultry industry and some of the modern Irish dairy industry, but it has little in common with the Irish beef sector, with its lack of measurement and follow through across many aspects of breeding and production.
Read more
Pig prices steady but disruption across EU
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