Swineweb says pigs goals shifting

The current focus is on individual sow performance and genetics, but the future will measure profit.

One thing that means is not only aiming for large and healthy litters but also a sow’s lifetime performance.

Another shift is management for heavier market weights of up to 300 pounds.

And beyond genetics, managers will be trying to identify pigs whose efficiency remains more stable when disease or environmental disruptions occur.

Meat packers will look beyond pounds produced toward the composition, quality and value of those pounds.

Another new measurement is whether the next generation of genetics produces more economic value per pig space, per sow, per pound of feed, and per pound of pork marketed. That’s where genetics ultimately leaves the laboratory and enters the balance sheet, Swineweb said.

The next great pig won’t necessarily be the animal that breaks a production record. It may be the pig that survives longer, remains efficient under pressure, reaches tomorrow’s market weights economically and produces exactly the pork the market values.

For the next generation of swine genetics, maximum performance may no longer be enough; the target is maximum economic performance across the entire production system, Swineweb said.