Feed conversion can be better in UK pigs
The UK pig industry could save over £40m per year by making a small improvement to feed conversion, according to Stephen Curtis, who was speaking at an ACMC Ltd conference in Yorkshire. “Increased costs, mainly on the back of higher world energy prices, are going to hit our industry hard, whether we like it or not” he said.
Having suffered a number of problems, such as disease and poor prices, over
the last 10 years the pig industry was urged to further reduce costs. Improved
genetics could go a long way to reducing costs. An improvement in feed
conversion of 0.1 was worth £1.65 on an 80kg deadweight pig, according to
Curtis.
In the last five years, ACMC had improved output by 0.8 pigs per
litter, reduced feed conversion by 0.16, and improved daily gain by 60kg and
lean meat by 0.9pc. The improvement in growth, feed conversion and lean were
worth, respectively £4.29 per pig, £3.13 per pig and 58p per pig, while the
extra pigs produced reduced the cost per sow by £88. “Putting this all together
and assuming 22 pigs reared per sow per year, the total value of this
improvement amounts to £264 per sow per year” he
addressed.
Related website:
ACMC
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