Continued Decline: Canadian Swine Herd Shrinks Further in 2024

Apr 08, 2024

The contraction of the Canadian swine herd persists into 2024. Despite higher-than-expected sow productivity in 2023, larger slaughter and export figures have led to a decrease of 140,000 head in the beginning hog inventory compared to the previous year. To put this into perspective, the Canadian swine herd had already shrunk by 265,000 head between January 2022 and January 2023. In another indication of this trend, the beginning sow stocks display a two percent reduction in the sow herd at the start of 2024, marking the lowest January 1 sow numbers since 2015. Additionally, there has been a two percent decline in the number of farms reporting hogs compared to January 1, 2023, suggesting a continued exodus of producers from the industry. This ongoing consolidation is further underscored by a slight increase in the average number of animals on remaining operations.

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Video: The Next Pork Disease Outbreak? How Biosecurity Can Stop It Before It Starts!

The threat of disease outbreaks remains one of the biggest challenges facing pork producers across North America. At the World Pork Expo, I spoke with Rob Hannam, CEO of Farm Health Guardian, to discuss why biosecurity is more critical than ever and how innovative technology is helping producers reduce risk before disease reaches the farm.
In this interview, Rob explains how Farm Health Guardian's advanced biosecurity platform helps pork operations monitor and manage visitor access, track potential disease exposure pathways, and strengthen on-farm biosecurity protocols. With recent outbreaks of diseases such as ASF, PRRS, PED and others continuing to impact global pork production and ongoing concerns surrounding the spread of endemic diseases, proactive prevention measures have become essential for protecting herd health and business continuity.
Learn how digital biosecurity tools can help producers identify risks, improve compliance, and create stronger defenses against costly disease outbreaks. Discover why leading pork operations are adopting technology-driven biosecurity solutions to safeguard animals, employees, and the future of the industry.