OVERVIEW OF THE ITALIAN SWINE INDUSTRY

Roberto BARDINI, DVM

EU-15

• Pig presence EU 27 : 159.732 millions

We are here!

The swine market situation in Italy in 2009

• SOWS: 756.345• TOTAL PIGS PRODUCED:

12.922 Millions• 4.2% of farmers represent

95.3% of the total • The trend shows that the

integration and consolidation process is occurring and has yet to be completed

• DOP: 8.707 mln ( 2008: - 4.5%)

Pig distribution

• The chart below shows the density of pigs in geographic areas: the red areas are the most populated, while the yellow ones are the least.

Density of pigs population per geographic areas. Source ISTAT 2005 (Red >70 pigs/Kmq. Dark-orange:between 30 & 70 pigs/Kmq. Light-orange: between 10 & 30 pigs/Kmq. Yellow: less than 10 pigs/Kmq )

Lombardia: 44.5%

Emilia Romagna: 17.6%

Piemonte: 10.6%

Triveneto: 10.4%

Umbria: 2.8%RO

NA

DOP production: Parma ham

Parma Ham: requirements– Feed composition strictly ruled– Slaughter weight: >150 kg

(now slaughterhouses ask for min. 170 kg)

– Slaughtered between 9 and 11 months of age

– Bred in specific regions of Italy (controlled by tattooing)

– Severe requirements guaranteed by Parma Ham Consortium

Market and economy in Italy (2009)

• 55 mln of hams imported, salted and stored • 26 mln of Italian hams produced• Average pork price (alive, Modena market):

1,219 Є• Average production cost (1 Kg alive): 1.3 Є• Italian feed cost\ton : 255 Є (EU 217, E 230,

NL 213, D 191, F 181)*• *EU commission data

Number of pig producing farms

• Pig production, as shown, is still fragmented.• However the 1.000 largest farms account for about 40%

of the market and the 5.000 largest farms for 95%• Trends show that integration is occurring and 3 major

producers now account for more than 20% of production

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total farms

First 5000 farms

First 1000 farms

Integrated industry

Level of concentration of italian pig productionSource: estimation by market experts

The swine feed industry

• The swine feed industry is composed of 3 different players:– Integrated industry– Home feed producers– Feed mills /customers

Countries

Farrowing/sow/year

Born alive//farrowing

Ppre-weaning mortality

Weaned pigglets/sow/year

Average Daily Gain

(30 kg-final weight)

Convertion Index

(30 kg-final weight)

Days (fattening)

Produced pigs/fattening place

Weight at sloughtering (kg)

Technical data (2006)

Are you sleeping….?

CircovacCircovac®®: Italian Trial: Italian TrialCircovacCircovac®®: Italian Trial: Italian Trial

Study objective

• To compare the efficacy of 2 PCV2 vaccines (CIRCOVAC and CircoFlex) on piglets in non vaccinated herd:

• Clinical situation• Heterogeneity• Mortality• Runts• ADWG and Feed conversion.

PCV 2 IZSLER trial: pigs cathegories more involved

PCV2: Età insorgenza

0

20

40

60

80

100

1 sett 3-4 sett 8 sett 12 sett 16 sett 20 sett 24 sett

% P

CR

pos

itivi

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

IZSLER,2011IZSLER,2011

Herd selection

- No PCV2 vaccination on sows or piglets until now

- PCVD/PMWS Diagnosis

- Reliability of management

- 26-01-10: Lab. Diagnosis for PMWS in 3 pigs

What reliability means

The herd

• 420 sows farrow to finish • Batch management: one week system• Weaning age: 26 days• “Very Good” sanitary situation (mortality rate from

farrow to finish in batches extremely low)• Sanitary breakdown 21 days after entering in

fattening units (costant feed medications followed by runts and few dead)

• Housing management: 26-50 d(PW);51-90d(“mangia-

bevi”);91-120d(grower);121-200d(1° fattenenig period: reduction

from 19 to 16 pigs per pen ) 201-300d (2°fattening period)

Protocol summary

- Blind study: vaccinations were made by another vet

• 1050 piglets• Randomization (Bologna University) 3

homogenous groups for sex, parity, initial weight• 5 weekly batches• 4 weighing steps

- at weaning(26d)- 110 d (before 1st fatt.)- 220 d (end of 1st fatt.)- at slaughter (carcass weight)

Every pig ( and farmer….) dream

..and the hard reality!!

Protocol summary

- 1050 piglets: 349(Circovac),351(Circoflex),350(Control)

- 1st weight and randomizaton, 2 days before weaning/vaccination

- the piglets were also vaccinated with Mh vaccine (BIV with W/O adjuvant)

Protocol summary

- Clinical check each month

- Dead, runts and treatments record

- Feed consumption (liquid feeding) between 2nd and 3rd weighing (40 -120/150KgBW) measured for about 70% of pigs and up to slaughter

Protocol summary

• Serology and virology: ELISA PCV2 and Q-PCR-PCV2- IZSLER Mantova

• Pre-trial: 26-01-10

• Trial: n°36 piglets/4th batch (12x group)

• N° blood samples: 6…+/- every month(from 20-05 to 24-11)

Monthly clinical control

Dead, runts and treatments record

An indispensable tool….

473

711

613

494

733

635

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

750

25-105 d 105-220 d 25-220 d

Control

Vaccinated

Results: ADWG

+22gr/d

613a

711a

473a

633b

730b

494b

637b

736b

495b

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

750

25-105 d 105-220 d 25-220 d

Control CIRCOVAC CIRCOFLEX

ADWG according to PCV2 vaccine

ADWG Results

–ADG : +22g/die vaccinated vs Controls

–STAT POS vaccinated vs Controls

–STAT NEG CIRCOVAC vs Circoflex (-4g)

Feed consumption

• Working in progress: we hope to obtain positive results also for feed conversion rate (around 70% of pigs) and to slaughter

SerologyAvarage specific Ab titres against PCV2 (log 10) on 36 pigs distributed in 3 groups

Losses during the trialGroup Dead

(n° Tag)Runts (n° Tag)

% runts + dead

Circovac(n°349)

93,96,218,452,469,539,629,681,715,758.903,921,959,1005,1039 291

107,686 5,73%

Subtotale N° 18 2 20

Circo 1 ml(n°351)

34,124,307,464,633,673,708,868,884,9454,25,29,275,

300,694,726

141,222,294,660,806

6,26%

Subtotale N° 17 5 22

Control(n°350)

71,190,249,991265,528,573,

727,729

31,45,53,72,119,162,225,276,292,363,603,842,994

6,28%

Subtotale N° 9 13 22

TOTAL N°(n°1050)

31 20 646,09%

To better understand the quality of health management of the farm…

% dead + runts from weaning up to 8 months of age

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

circovac

circoflex

control

italian average

Hunted deer to celebrate!

Conclusions

• Difiicult trial• Statistically well

planned• Data obtained

statistically significative

• Confirmation of the “zootechnical” role of PCV2 vaccines