South Korean working to reduce 2014 swine numbers
Efforts by Korean swine producers to reduce sow numbers already began in 2013 and showed some results in keeping the total inventory from rising further.
But since the reduction in sow numbers did not take place until the second half of 2013 so it was not effective in reducing the total inventory in 2013.
However, the reduced sows will definitely bring down the inventory in 2014. The effect of lowering the sow numbers is expected to begin to have an impact on the total inventory about 10 months later, considering the four month pregnancy period and about six months needed to raise the piglets.
Therefore, the impact of a low animal numbers, swine conception rate during the 2013 summer coupled with efforts to reduce sow numbers will begin to have an impact on total inventory in 2014.
The piglet production and ending inventories in 2014 is based on the drop in sow numbers during the second half of 2013. However, it remains to be seen how long the effect from lower sow numbers will last as compound feed sales for sow in January 2014 increased by 3.9% over the level in December 2013.
[Source: USDA Gain Report]
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