Welfare requirements are usually associated with keeping piglet sows in groups (important: from the fourth week after insemination!). However, they don't stop there. Other critical issues for producers include providing the necessary space per head based on process-age group and the ratio of slit to solid floor in the cohorts. You can read more about the requirements here.
"Surveys on the degree of readiness of industrial pork producers in Ukraine have shown that currently about 50% (112.5 thousand sows of breeding industrial herd) are kept individually during the phase of piglets. According to estimates of designers and suppliers of equipment, conversion of production facilities with individual machines to group holding of gestating sows will cost about $200/head. The cost would be about $200/head. (equipment and floor replacement costs). That is an investment necessary for the industry to implement this requirement - about 22,5 mln., the Association of Ukranian Pig Breeders commented.
In addition, according to the data from the operators and experts of the market, up to 20% of the sows (about 20 thousand heads) kept in groups during the growing season, do not have access to proper space per head. Accordingly, to meet the requirements, such enterprises will have to reduce the number of key sows. In such a scenario, the reduction in domestic production of industrial pork live weight could reach 10 thousand tons. According to expert estimates, maintaining the number of breeding stock at the previous level will require operators to attract additional investments for re-equipment/renovation or construction of production facilities in the amount of about 15 million dollars (per unit investment). The minimum investment for the introduction of a new breeding facility will be about USD 15 million (with a specific investment of USD 4-5 thousand per sow).
Thus, the minimum investment for the implementation of requirements for pig welfare in terms of group housing of sows and providing the necessary space per head on domestic farms will cost the industry about 37.5 million dollars in total. The Association of Ukranian Pig Breeders noted that the industry will cost about $37.5 million cumulatively.
The Association of Ukranian Pig Breeders is a nonprofit, voluntary organization founded by domestic pork producers. The main objectives of the association are representation and protection of the rights and interests of the association farms, assistance in the development and introduction of new technologies for the efficient production of pork, expansion of markets, protection of domestic sales market.