Number of commercial pig units falls
It shows that in January 2003 there were 510 units containing just over 160,000 sows with the capacity to produce 3.43 million pigs per year.
The bi-annual census also reveals the average herd size has increased from 355 sows in 2001 to 383 sows at present.
But the decline in the unit numbers is almost exclusively confined to those with less than 300 sows. The number of producers in this size category declined by almost 20% during the past two years.
Pat Tuite, Teagasc chief pig adviser, said just 33 units now control one third of the national pig breeding herd. Each of these units has a minimum of 1,000 sows.
“A total of 104 units, each with a minimum 500 sows, are responsible for 61% of total sow numbers. In contrast, there are only 53 units with less than 100 sows, accounting for 2.5% of the total sow population,” he said.
Mr Tuite said 86% of all sows are now located in integrated breeding and finishing units. Four counties, Cork, Cavan, Tipperary and Longford, account for over 50% of all sows and finishing pigs. Cork, with 95 pig units, is the biggest producer, followed by Cavan with 67 units and Tipperary with 53.
The Teagasc census also shows a drop of 3.5% in the national sow herd during the past two years.
