Survey Shows Improved Pork Production Efficiency and Reduced Environmental Footprint Over 30 Years

A survey of Canadian pork producers shows an across-the-board improvement in the efficiency of pork production and a reduction of the sector's environmental foot print over the past 30 years.

Scientists with the University of Manitoba, on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc, coordinated the "Canadian Pig Production Practices Survey for Improved Economic and Environmental Viability."

Dr. Mario Tenuta, the Senior Industrial Research Chair in 4R Nutrient Stewardship and a Professor of Soil Ecology with the University of Manitoba, explains the survey was open to pork producers across Canada and was conducted to quantify improvements in production efficiency and paint a clearer picture of the pork sector's environmental footprint.

Clip-Dr. Mario Tenuta-University of Manitoba:

Efficiencies of production have improved from 1990 to 2020 and the efficiency of production in terms of throughput of live carcass weight for the same amount of feed and time and so forth have improved by a good eight to 10 percent.

Then related with all indicators of production efficiency and also environmental indicators have improved, showing we're using resources better to produce more pig products.

You name it, it's improved, in terms of water, electricity or fuel and feed all improved.There is a number of reasons for this.One of them is the genetics of our animals are better than 30 years ago.

Another is that there's advances that we've had technology wise, barn design, how we heat and cool, move manure, store manure have improved and then also the utilization of available feedstuffs for mixing rations, in particular the use of coproducts.

Dr. Tenuta says it's positive to see the pork sector on this trajectory and we can identify areas of improved trajectory for the near future.