Pig farming at scale continues to be the trend with most pig farms averaging about 900 pigs, while farms with fewer than 200 pigs continue to decrease, according to the Ministry of Agriculture’s most recent swine census.
Multiple factors influence the exit of smaller pig farms, including rising overhead costs as a result of regulations on wastewater emissions and waste treatment, Department of Animal Industry Director-General Lee Yi-chien (李宜謙) said.
The disinclination of younger generations to pick up the family business among small-scale farms is another reason, Lee said.
Photo: Yang Yuan-ting, Taipei Times
As a result, domestic pig farming is trending toward large-scale farming with a focus on high efficiency and high returns, Lee said.
The ministry’s biannual pig farm census showed that Taiwan had a total of 5,564 pig farms as of November last year, 40 less than in May.
There were a total of 5,206,927 pigs across all farms, the ministry said.
The previous average number of pigs at husbandry farms stood at about 800, but now it is 900, Lee said.
Peripheral industries, such as butchering, processing, transportation, feed manufacturing and retail, have a combined value of NT$200 billion (US$6.1 billion), Lee said, adding that recent policies aimed at growing the industry through investments exceeding NT$10 billion have seen an increased average of piglets being born.
Previously, a sow would give birth to 11 piglets on average, but newer methodologies and technology have increased it to 13, Lee added.
Should Taiwan’s application to the World Organization for Animal Health to be recognized as a swine fever-free country be approved this year, international pork exports would become possible, Lee said.
However, budget cuts would harm the ministry’s efforts to promote disease prevention awareness and overseas sales, Lee added.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party lawmakers have cut the ministry’s public relations and media funding by 60 percent, reduced administrative funding by 30 percent, and slashed budgets for overseas and domestic travel, Lee said.
Lee said the reduced budget would prevent the ministry from dispatching agents to pig farms for consultation, inspection and disease prevention.
The reduction in media promotion fees could also hamper Taiwan’s foothold in the Singaporean and Philippine markets, he said, adding that the ministry would be hard-pressed to expand into new markets with limited funding.
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