Articles

Individual precision feeding (IPF) seeks to provide each animal with the exact amount of nutrients required daily.

Genetics plays a key role in the farm's future, with the terminal sire being a crucial investment due to its high impact on the pork value chain.

Diagnostic tools should be implemented not only reactively during outbreaks, but also proactively, allowing for early detection of infectious agents to anticipate potential problems.

Geopolitical uncertainty, the potential impact of Super El Niño and grain market volatility are keeping forward purchases on hold in a market that still remains within a not overly expensive range.

How are African swine fever (ASF) viruses classified? How well represented are they in sequence databases?

April clearly shows that stability in the market does not automatically translate into economic relief.

Thorough monitoring and a highly practical contingency plan helped minimise the impact of a PRRS infection at a GTC.

In 2025, the Latin American swine industry established structural expansion, reaching historic milestones in production, exports, and domestic consumption. However, in 2026, the sector faces a highly complex scenario, where projected growth will have to contend with the volatility of an unstable geopolitical environment and mounting sanitary pressures that are testing regional efficiency and profitability.

The administration of a hepatoprotective product at peripartum reduced sow mortality by 73%.

When foetuses develop in a heat-stressed gestation sow, a condition known as in utero heat stress occurs, and piglets may be born smaller with impaired gut microbiome and immune function. Additionally, these piglets show greater susceptibility to stress later in life. Although these consequences are not always immediately apparent, they are important to manage and prevent.

We're not just talking about family succession. We're talking about talent, vocation, future. How to cultivate today the leadership the sector will need tomorrow.

The virus detected in Barcelona is ASF genotype II and has been classified in a new genetic group: #29.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) play a key role in intestinal health in pigs. In addition to providing readily available energy, they contribute to microbiota modulation, pathogen reduction, and improved digestibility and nutrient absorption, specially in piglets during the post-weaning period.

The tight supply of pigs ready for slaughter pushed prices up in Germany, although demand in the meat market and structural challenges remained limiting factors. In the medium term, the decrease in supply could benefit the market.

Success depends on targeted investments that make production systems more precise, predictable, and resilient. Cost-cutting alone is rarely a sustainable path to profit.

Among the elements that are often overlooked is the microbiota, a true "invisible organ" that plays a key role in the health, immunity, and productivity of pigs. Understanding its dynamics and how it becomes imbalanced is increasingly essential for the success of health and nutrition programs.

Initial injuries at the tip of the ear are usually due to chewing behavior, while injuries at the base of the ear appear to be influenced by feeder-related bites.

To complement the necropsy course, we have produced a series of videos of different processes in pigs.

The market is gradually working its way out of a phase of tension.

There is no doubt that ASF weighs heavily on pig prices. Prices will probably rise until they reach (and possibly exceed) the cost price, but we should not expect any major joys in 2026.

Individual precision feeding facilitates the use of alternative feedstuffs, such as forage, agro-industrial by-products, and others, by allowing them to be provided according to each animal's consumption and growth.

Prices were expected to be significantly better than what ultimately materialized in the hog markets.

The withdrawal of ZnO in the EU and the UK, and the pressure to reduce the use of antibiotics, has accelerated the shift to implement alternatives to protect postweaning gut health.

If we want greater economic resilience in the face of hard times, our focus should shift from cutting costs to outproducing the challenges ahead.

Effective PRDC control isn’t a single protocol — it’s a system. Success depends on accurate diagnosis, tailored vaccination, strong biosecurity, smart production flow, and, above all, consistent implementation. As Cano said, “Execution is everything. The best protocol won’t work if no one’s watching the barn.”

We visited the CDPQ, Centre de développement du porc du Québec, a commercial farm that operates under a unique collaborative model focused on research.

The speed and magnitude of the price drop at the beginning of January marked a discouraging start to the year for farms.

Spain has flooded the EU with cheap pork. Low pork prices dragged down prices in some countries.

Intestinal immunity is a complex system composed of physical barriers, immune cells, receptors, and microbiota.

An updated summary regarding the African swine fever outbreak situation in Spain.

The key takeaways highlight that environmental microbiomes matter—installing a positive biofilm on surfaces in farm buildings helps maintain a favorable microbial environment in the nursery—while animal gut resilience is equally essential and requires supporting microbial balance, immunity, and the management of oxidative stress to optimize their post-weaning performance.

Sara Mazo and Francisco Ruíz review what could affect the commodities market in 2026... at least based on the information currently available.

An in-depth understanding of the customer is essential for pig farmers who want to become more competitive, shifting from a tactical, production-focused approach to a strategic, customer-based approach.

The German pig market ended December with a deceptive sense of calm, yet beneath this veneer, the situation remained tense.

Intrauterine growth restriction is a complex condition with long-lasting effects that compromise both productivity and fertility in pigs.

Jean Paul Cano, a veterinarian with extensive field experience in US and now in Spain, provided practical field insights into managing PRDC in production settings. Joaquim Segalés, UAB professor and CReSA researcher, offered an academic perspective and share the latest findings on PRDC pathogenesis.

Reducing sow mortality takes time, and it is therefore necessary that the owner or manager is committed and leads the project. Throughout the process, you will need to draw a line and start doing things differently to achieve significant results.

Precision electronic feeding has become one of the key technologies for improving efficiency and sustainability on farms.

Inside the genome of the African swine fever virus: a giant that is difficult to decipher. CEREP uses genomics to study the virus's circulation in Italy and beyond.

Tonsil scrubbing using sponge catheters demonstrates a greater capacity for virus detection compared to sera from infected sows.

We answer frequently asked questions from the public regarding the recent measures implemented to control the outbreak of African swine fever detected in wild boars in Barcelona, ​​Spain.

The month was shaped by a seasonally unusual price decline and left the sector wavering between routine daily business and sudden uncertainty.

We are in a critical market situation throughout the EU. It does not look like things will change until February next year.

In terms of feed presentation, we look for ingredients that provide not only nutrients but also functionality, with the aim of increasing gastric retention time to facilitate protein hydrolysis, greater contact between food and enzymes, and reducing fermentation of undigested protein in the intestine.

Almost four years after the first case of African swine fever was detected in Italy, the epidemic continues to pose a complex challenge for the country's health and wildlife management. Since January 2022, the virus has appeared in four distinct geographical areas. These were independent introductions of certain anthropogenic origin, occurring at different times and environmental contexts.

Should we review the iron requirements of piglets?

Fats and oils are among the most energy-dense and expensive components in pig diets, yet their digestion and utilization remain complex and often under-optimized.

Considering the spread of African swine fever (ASF) globally in recent years, are we prepared for this increased risk?

There is plenty of evidence that the weight and backfat level of the gilt at first mating is strongly related to her productive life and longevity.

The price has fallen so much that it's probably close to its yearly low.

Feed presentation is a complex issue, as it can influence both feed mill performance and animal performance. This article analyzes the main factors related to the presentation of pelleted feed that affect productive performance and welfare during the first days after weaning.

The livestock farms associated with the project evaluate and verify the improvement measures proposed in the plans based on the ClassyFarm self-assessment questionnaires.

Despite the global dynamics of a growing sector, pig farming faces difficulties in attracting and retaining young talent.

How is vitamin quantity expressed? How are vitamin requirements and safety margins estimated in pigs? Can the stability of vitamin activity be compromised?

Increased productivity has not come without consequences. Sows face greater physiological demands, which translates into a higher metabolic load, increased nutritional requirements, and, in many cases, increased mortality on farms. This phenomenon is of particular concern in Spain.

Assessing lung lesions at slaughter is useful for monitoring their evolution over time, and thus estimating the effectiveness of the measures implemented to control these diseases.

September brought falling pig prices, declining piglet prices, and noticeably more cautious demand.

The choice of cut-off point influences sensitivity, specificity, and the occurrence of false positives or negatives. We explain why the timing of collection and the purpose of the test make a difference in interpreting the results.

Boosting key performance indicators in swine production requires addressing viral pathogens, which remain a major challenge for swine health, performance, and farm profitability. Emerging strains, such as H1N2#E and devastating diseases like ASF, highlight the urgency for innovative control strategies. C12 monoglycerides represent a promising approach to enhance pigs’ immune defenses and mitigate viral impact.

High sensitivity, specificity, and an affordable cost make ELISA an indispensable tool in laboratory routines. This infographic explains the mechanisms, components, and main variations of this assay in a visual and objective way.

When losses and costs from poor health threaten the current and future farm profitability, perhaps a “clean slate” should be considered.

With the main genetic lines' rapid improvement in terms of prolificacy, feed conversion ratio, and other production parameters, the reference requirements for vitamins and minerals have become outdated.

Looking inside our pigs to learn more about their future.

Oral vaccination in pigs, previously limited to enteric pathogens, is emerging as an innovative strategy against respiratory diseases. By building on the potential of the Common Mucosal Immune System (CMIS), new formulations can trigger immune responses in distant mucosal sites starting from the gut.

August brought a welcome breather to the German pig market.

A stew of grains with an abundance of ingredients, but seasoned with risks that could sour the overall dish.

In healthy animals, PCV2 stays under the radar, causing little harm. But with coinfections that activate the immune system, the virus replicates more and becomes more damaging.

Unusual drop in July and August of more than 17 cents, and it is expected to continue to fall.

After weaning, endogenous hydrochloric acid production is still limited, which raises stomach pH and compromises pepsin activity, affecting protein digestibility and favoring pathogen growth.

This second article from the WelfarePIGnet project describes practices for improving pig access to feed and drinking water, including the costs of implementing them.

The opportunities are real, but several challenges are holding the industry back.

How does heat stress affect animal growth and meat quality?

When we manage errors systematically, we stop punishing symptoms and start addressing the real causes.

Pigs are particularly vulnerable to heat stress due to their limited ability to dissipate body heat and genetic selection for higher productivity, which has reduced their heat tolerance. Improved technical results increase heat production, and today's lines produce 30% more heat than those in the 1980s.