‘Our island status is our biggest plus-factor’

From a farm in Donegal, Thomas holds an honours degree in agricultural science from University College Dublin as well as an MBA from the Smurfit Business School. His work with MSD prioritises preventative animal-health solutions, an emphasis that he clearly carries into his voluntary role in IPHS.
The fact that Ireland is an island has significant animal-health benefits, he says: “Our island status is our biggest plus-factor in terms of biosecurity. We live in a globally integrated world where people and goods travel freely. Equally, the potential for disease to cross borders and even continents is significant. We need only look at Covid-19 for evidence of that fact. We have seen the impact that African swine fever has had on pig production across the world, especially in China, where there are reports of a resurgence of the disease. We have evidence of some outbreaks in eastern Europe so high vigilance is needed to protect our pig herds at all times. But we cannot be complacent just because we live on an island. We have strong biosecurity protocols in place, and these are being regularly reviewed and improved to ensure that we keep potential pig health threats out of our herds.”

We need only look at Covid-19 for evidence of that fact. We have seen the impact that African swine fever has had on pig production across the world, especially in China, where there are reports of a resurgence of the disease. We have evidence of some outbreaks in eastern Europe so high vigilance is needed to protect our pig herds at all times. But we cannot be complacent just because we live on an island. We have strong biosecurity protocols in place, and these are being regularly reviewed and improved to ensure that we keep potential pig health threats out of our herds.”

Unprecedented financial challenges
Thomas reflects on a torrid time for pig producers up to early 2023: “The previous 18 months was a very challenging period. We saw reductions in the national pig herd, of between five and 10 per cent. Since February, we have seen pig farms returning to profitability, which is massively positive. A combination of a more balanced international supply and demand for pigmeat allied to significant reductions in input costs, specifically grain prices, have combined to bring about this turnaround in profitability.
“Seventy per cent of the total production cost is feed, so every €10 reduction in a tonne of wheat or barley is worth the equivalent of 4c/kg of pigmeat price. The influence of grain prices and the impact of the disruption in grain supply and pricing because of the war in Ukraine cannot be overstated. The outlook right now is very positive for pig farmers trying to rebuild their finances and repay debt built up over an extended period of lossmaking.
“The timeline to restore production to previous levels is nine months so there is some way to go just to get back to where pig producers were two years ago. Across Europe last year, 500,000 sows were slaughtered because of the losses pig farmers were suffering.”

Quality over quantity

Quality over quantity by maximising health and efficiency was the theme of this year’s IPHS conference, Thomas explains: “We are prioritising health and efficiency, and our conference theme reflected that fact. Sow retention and longevity were discussed at one of the conference sessions. There have been several novel trends introduced over the past 10 years. Higher ‘born alives’ and more prolific genetics being two notable trends. High ‘born alives’ has implications for the longevity of the sow and that needs to be considered in assessing the benefits of pushing for more live piglets per litter. The challenge is to get high output from a sow while still maintaining sustainable retention rates and longevity in the breeding herd. We invited a UK speaker to lead the discussion on that topic and he provided data to explore the topic from several perspectives. That session was very well received by our conference attendees.”

Competitiveness

Thomas is unambiguous in emphasising the competitiveness of the Irish pig-production sector: “We are as good as is out there. In performance terms, Irish pig herds are in the top-third internationally in our figures for sow longevity, for instance. Overall, comparing ourselves to the Dutch or Danish pig sectors, our competitive performance stands up well across most of the relevant figures. Our feed conversion ratios are excellent on a comparative basis as are our output figures. If we have one problem compared to some of our international peers, it is that we have higher feed costs, generally, compared to others. Access to cheaper grain due to proximity to large ports that handle feed from across the world is a major determining factor in pig feed costs.
“It’s not always easy to make direct comparisons. Look at Denmark as an example. They mostly manage different production sites for different pig life stages. Here, it is almost all integrated, single site production models. The Danish producer tends to sell significant numbers of weaners and young pigs generally to German farms for finishing. In Ireland, the farmer typically owns the pig from birth to bacon. That’s our traditional production model and it works well, while allowing for the fact that there is less opportunity to play the market. Ultimately, there is only a single line of sale to the end processor. Other production models in other countries can offer more selling choices.”

Improving sow milk production
Improving milk volume in lactating sows was another topic covered at the IPHS conference: “Producing 18 piglets when a sow has only fourteen teats is an issue that we decided needed in-depth discussion so we included it as a full session topic at our conference. The biggest single element of the nutrition equation for a sow feeding new-born piglets is the availability of sufficient colostrum at the early stage of life. Inadequate colostrum severely compromises a pig from reaching its lifetime potential. That was the approach we took to the discussion.”

The solar option

Solar-energy production was another topic addressed at the IPHS conference and Thomas Gallagher’s MBA thesis on solar PV adoption in Irish homes gives him a deep understanding of what is involved in adopting a solar-energy production option for pig production units: “The huge increase in energy costs over the past year or so has concentrated minds on exploring viable energy alternatives. Many pig farmers are recognising that investment in solar, given the supports that are in place, offers a very good return on investment over a three-year payback period and there is a big carbon reduction element also, making it an environmentally positive undertaking. Pig farms are very energy intensive, so opportunities to reduce energy costs through solar or woodchip or other alternatives are being widely adopted.”

Protein demand

Concluding, Thomas highlighted the increasing demand for protein: “The demand outlook for pigmeat is positive, driven by higher global population and increasing demand for food protein. Take the African continent as an example. A growing population is slowly moving from a carbohydrate-rich diet to one that is more meat-protein based. That offers opportunity for pigmeat producers.”