IT'S the greatest challenge facing agriculture. How do farmers feed the world's ever growing population and the meet the ever increasing demand for higher protein diets?
At the Alltech Rebelation conference in Lexington, Kentucky, attendees from around the globe learnt producers in Europe and the US were regularly producing 30-plus piglets per sow per year.
While Australia is targeting 30 pigs sold from 2.2 to 2.3 litters a year the average annual production is closer to 24-25 pigs.
Error Hardwick, who manages a 350 sow unit on Wamba at Chinchilla, was in Kentucky for the international conference hosted by the global animal health and nutrition company Alltech.
Mr Hardwick said part of the challenge was gaining access to higher performing genetics in US and the Europe.
"The Australian pig herd certainly performs well given its genetic potential," Mr Hardwick said.
"There is no doubt there are excellent health systems in place in our piggeries and we are taking advantage of the expertise provided by animal nutritionists.
"But we don't have the genetics that countries - especially like Denmark - that makes their production systems so much more efficient in terms of numbers if pigs and kilograms of pig meat produced."
Another major difference - in the US at least - is the harvest weight of pigs.
The Australian industry is largely geared to producing pigs weighing up to 120kg live weight at 22 to 23 weeks. Heavier weights attract price penalties from processors.
In comparison the US is growing its animals out to 160-170kg at 30 weeks and maximising the high feed conversion rates of pigs as they approach maturity.
A glance at the bacon offered in the meat cabinet of major retailer Walmart provided clear indication of the increased size of US pigs.
US bacon is presented as only the 'streak'. The circular eye muscle, which is common on Australian bacon, is processed as fresh pork in the US.
While some of the US bacon is presented with an attractive amount of meat, some of the bacon is at least 75 per cent fat.
"Wherever we've seen cooked bacon in the US it has been deep fried," Mr Hardwick said.
"I think it's because it's the only real way the very fatty product can be used.
"There is no doubt Americans love their pork and have an absolute obsession with slow cooked ribs and pulled pork."
Wamba delivers 135 pigs from its Large White/Landrace/Duroc-cross sow herd to Swickers at Kingaroy each week.
