Teagasc question 200,000-sow target

Teagasc experts have advised pig farmers to maximise the output potential of their existing herds before considering the expansion of the Irish sow herd size to 200,000 sows, which was a key target of the Food Harvest 2020 plan for the food industry.

The additional 56,000 sows required to meet this target would require an investment of 280 million at current prices, said the

Teagasc researchers who recently released a financial status of Irish farms and future investment requirements, which was sponsored by Bank of Ireland.