The top 10% of Danbred sows weaned nearly 42 pigs per sow year in 2024, according to a new report by the company claiming that its pigs have the highest productivity in the world.
The report, ‘Results for DanBred Pigs 2025’, stated that over the past two years, the Danish breeding company has achieved a ‘breeding progress’ of almost €5 per finisher pig over the past two years, with piglet survival, sow survival and feed efficiency contributing the most to the overall progress.
Robustness traits accounted for 73% of the overall progress, while productivity and reproduction traits contributed 18% and 9%, respectively.
In 2024, the top 10% of DanBred sow herds weaned 41.9 pigs/sow/year, with a piglet survival rate of 82.1%. The top 10% of DanBred finisher herds also demonstrated outstanding feed efficiency at 2.23 kg feed per kg gain and an average daily gain of 1,162 grams. This results in a production value of €141 per pen per year, the report said.
The number of weaned pigs per sow per year has increased by nearly two pigs on average in only two years, supported by an increase of 1.6 percentage points in piglet survival. Among finishers, productivity has increased steadily and significantly, with a 5-7% improvement in production value per pen per year.
“Our results are based on a large and qualified data set, which I see as a major strength. The report shows clearly what breeding delivers today, but also what we expect in the future,” said Christian Fink Hansen, director at the Pig Research Centre in Danish Agriculture & Food Council.
Torben Aarris, CEO of DanBred, said the large data set ‘proves that DanBred has a clear advantage globally’. “These results show that our genetics are leading both in terms of productivity and in strengthening the profitability of our customers,” he said.
Looking to the future, the report forecasts that ‘overall annual breeding progress’ is expected to reach EUR €2.48 per DanBred finisher pig, with the largest contributions coming from piglet survival, sow survival, and litter gain.
The full report is available HERE