2023: A Mixed Bag for the U.S. Swine Industry
“Lean and healthy” isn’t just a label on packaged pork in the meat case at your grocery store — right now, it sort of describes the U.S. swine industry. Or, perhaps more accurately: “Lean, but healthy.” Aaron Lower, DVM, President of Carthage Veterinary Service (CVS), and Bill Hollis, DVM, President of Professional Swine Management (PSM) reflected on the challenges and the silver linings of 2023.
No one will question that 2023 was a challenging year, but what are some positives that you saw for the industry?
AL: Producers have had two good years with respect to a lower overall incidence of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and porcine epidemic diarrhea viral (PEDv) outbreaks. We will continue to monitor the situation this winter and in 2024 to confirm if this decrease is just ebb-and-flow variation, or — hopefully — a positive trend showing that the industry is gaining traction against these diseases.
BH: From an economic vantage point, 2023 has been one of the leanest years CVS clients and PSM shareholders have had. We can’t lose sight of the fact that our clients who own the pigs have lost money this year. Production, however, has been healthy and livestock producers have seen an upswing in survivability.
Also on the swine health front, 2023 was a banner year for eliminating Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infections in large U.S. commercial herds we work with, as the bacterial disease was a sizable drag on producer profitability. This type of continued improvement in the health and survivability of pigs downstream in the production pipeline is something to look forward to in 2024 as we continue to have some depopulation and repopulation projects going on.
Speaking of depop and repop, that seems to have gained some traction this year; why do you think that is?
BH: I would agree, I think part of that comes from the pain the disease is bringing — when the disease is bad enough, the pain is bad enough it becomes a more viable option. The second part of that is gilts are not as expensive and there is some room for negotiation, which can be a real advantage in the cost considerations.
AL: I agree with Bill’s comments from the cost perspective, it historically was always more expensive to depop and repop than to load, close and homogenize (LCH). Modern PRRS viral strains, for instance, have become more difficult to eradicate via LCH, requiring much longer quarantine periods stretching upwards of a year or more instead of 30 weeks. So if the cost of depop-repop isn’t too far from LCH and it tends to get the operation back into active pig production more swiftly, it can be the more attractive solution. The decision really depends on where you as the producer have landed with the disease, and how bad the economic pain is for you.
What encourages you, looking forward to 2024?
BH: From an optimistic standpoint, we have had packers approaching us about ensuring long-term pig supplies to continue and even increase pork production, despite the months in 2023 they didn’t receive as much income. Everyone seems to see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel of the swine industry, and are working to ensure that producers, packers and retailers are tightly connected to support the supply chain.
We are optimistic, too … but we’d like to be closer to that daylight, of course!
AL: The sow farm owners and managers we work with seem to be doing a good job with employee morale, continuing to encourage and reward despite some lean times. That the employees we talk with also seem positive is a testament to these leaders showing respect, trust and appreciation to the people who are working the farms. We continue to be proud of the swine industry in which we are all working!
