January 7, 2014     

US pig numbers decline due to PEDv

US pig numbers declined in the previous year due to Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus (PEDv) in 20 states, which is beginning to impact overall output, while in Germany, number of pigs - especially sows - appear to be settling down again as the industry adjusts to the sow stall ban introduced one year ago.

USDA's Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report came out at the end of last year, revealing a 1% reduction in each of the categories of total pigs, sows and market hogs. With an average of 10.16, the number of pigs reared per litter broke another record in the latest quarter but there are signs that the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus (PEDv) is hitting pig output, with the number of market hogs down 2% from the previous report three months ago.

Market analysts Ron Plain and Scott Brown wrote: "There was indication of the impact of PEDv, with pigs per litter at 100.1% of last fall. That was the smallest over-year increase in pigs per litter since the summer of 2003."

They added that the number of PED virus cases increased with the approach of winter and is widely believed to be the cause for the reduced pigs-per-litter in November.

Jim Long of Genesus, in his Pork Commentary, wrote: "The USDA report indicates the US breeding herd down by 62,000, which means liquidation," confirming his observations of the market. He says that sow barns have been viewed as a bad investment for some time and that a number of producers with breeding herds have left the sector while none has come in to restore the number of sows.

The holidays have disrupted the reporting of new cases of PEDv in the US but the swine vets' association reports that the National Animal Health Laboratory Network added 66 new cases to those reported during the week of December 15, making last week's total of 185 the highest since beginning of the outbreak.

Two new papers on PEDv indicate the most important biosecurity measures to control the spread of the virus and how oral feedback of piglet faeces to the breeding herd may help protect vulnerable new-born litters from the infection.

Meanwhile, the provisional results of the latest survey of pig farms in Germany, conducted in November 2013, shows there were 13% fewer breeding farms and 3% fewer sows than one year previously. These declines show signs of slowing down, however, as the industry stabilises again after the introduction of the EU-wide sow stall ban one year ago.