GB sow productivity is continuing to improve although the latest performance figures still show other EU producers doing even better, according to AHDB Pork.
Looking at results for the twelve months to March 2016, AHDB Pork highlighted increases in both numbers born alive and pre-weaning mortality for indoor sows with similar improvements showing through for outdoor systems.
“The (indoor) average is 26.4 piglets weaned per sow per year, with the top 10% achieving just over 30 for a second time,” said AHDB Pork.
“For outdoor sows, a small increase in litters per sow per year and pigs born alive, together with an improvement in pre-weaning mortality, resulted in an average of 22.5 pigs weaned per sow per year, with the top 10% achieving 26.57.”
While this represents good progress, however, it was still stated that GB producers continue to “lag behind” their main EU competitors.
“The EU 2014 average was 26.53 pigs weaned per sow per year, with Denmark achieving 30.0 on average for two years running,” said AHDB Pork. “The main reason GB has a below average number of pigs weaned per sow lies in the number of pigs born alive per litter, with GB still performing below the EU 2014 average of 13.2.”