Sweden! - International Federation of Agricultural Journalists

SOLUTIONS FOR A GREEN FUTURE 19
Problems
The profitability of pig breeding in Sweden
has been poor for several years. The high
cost of fodder is one reason. Another
reason is that it is more costly to raise
pigs in Sweden than in other European
countries due to stricter animal protection
legislation. One example is tail docking
which is forbidden. To keep sows contained
in gestation crates is also forbidden.
Furthermore, the pen area is larger than in
competitor countries such as Denmark and
Germany.
Swedish pig production is entirely adapted
to the market and the farmers receive
no economic support or subsidies.
Bigger and bigger farms
Swedish pig production is undergoing
structural reorganization. More than 70%
of the pigs bred for slaughter exist on farms
that deliver more than 750 slaughter pigs
per year. Nearly 90% of all sows are on
farms with at least 100 sows.
Two thirds of all sows are reared on
farms with at least 200 sows. This is despite
the fact that these large farms only constitute
15% of all pig production companies
which have sows and boars.
Pigs in the south
Geographically, nearly a third of all pigs in
Sweden are in the county of Skåne, in the
south. Only 3% of pig breeding is based in
Norrland in the north of the country.
Breeds
A commonplace breed for sows in Sweden
is a cross between Norsk Lantras and
Svensk Yorkshire. Sows are usually inseminated
with semen from Hampshire and
Duroc breeds of boar.
Lots of land
More than 50% of the Swedish pig farmers
have more than 50 hectares of arable land.
Nearly the same amount of farms with
sows and boars, 46%, have more than
50 hectares of land. Disposal of manure
is not as big a problem as in some other
countries.
Prices
The basic listing price which the farmer is
paid is based partly on the weight of the
pig and partly on the percentage of meat
on the pig. The payment varies greatly.
Over the last few years, the price has been
as low as 9.40 SEK per kilogram, but also
been over 15 SEK per kilogram.
In addition to the basic listing price, the
farmer is paid delivery supplements which
are based on how often and how many pigs
the farm delivers. 4