Olga Miroshnikova , Anton Miroshnikov

To get a perspective of what Key Performance Indicators are important to pork producers in Russia, PigCHAMP representative Olga Miroshnikova asked several leading producers for their thoughts. Here are some of the responses.

“Needless to say there are a lot of generally accepted KPIs that we try to reach. However most of the focus is on piglets rate of growth and final outcome by way of kill out,” observed Nadezhda Glazkova, Chief Husbandry Technician, Altaymyasoprom LLC. The Key Performance Indicators for our company which we use for assessment of performance are the following:

• Prolificacy – the total number of Liveborn piglets in the litter. The boars’/semen’s quality influence this indicator
• Gain in weight
• Mortality – different at Farowing, Grow and Finish
• Age at 100kg live weight - is calculated for breeding animals
• Kill out – meat yield
• Pigs reared per sow per year – a number of Liveborn piglets at the time of Weaning

“The fact of the matter is, high sow productivity turns out to be crucial when it comes to operating efficiency. That’s why we work in particular on this indicator,” according to Helen Kulikowa, Husbandry Technician, KFH Luft. “The most significant factor we monitor is conception rate (target is 97%). We also look for and monitor the number of liveborn, heavy piglets and the sow’s milking capacity (a sow ideally should nurse 14 piglets). For Grow-Finish animals we take into account both mortality and weight. The Key Performance Indicator is Live Weight 140kg at 180 days.”

“Prime cost is the most important thing for us,” according to Andrew Chikishev, pig farm manager for Systema LLC “For our company the economy and business profitability are determinant factors. So we tend to look for ways to decrease cost. Moreover, we closely manage the amount of live weight produced per square meter of production space per year. Like other pork producers, we strive to maintain a production system that provides strong economic performance.”

Another Systema technician notes: “As for KPI we regard proper Repeat rate (15%) and Farrowing rate and number of Liveborn piglets. Also we monitor percentage of mortality. Average daily gain targets are: farrow-wean – 250 g, grow – 550 g, finish – 750 g.”

Helen Bekker, Technician and Chief Breeder at Omsk Bacon JSC adds, “We are eager to use PigCHAMP to the fullest so as to observe the aggregate picture of our pork production; keep abreast and follow closely areas needed to be improved.” We take into account all of the following indicators:

• Farrowing number per sow per year
• Farrowing rate
• Total born per sow
• Liveborn per sow
• Stillborn per sow
• Mummified per sow
• Weaned per sow
• Repeat rate
• Pigs reared per sow per year – a number of Liveborn piglets at the time of Weaning
• Lactation period
• Average female cycle number
• Breed herd culling and death
• Non-productive days number
• Average gain in weight for different groups
• Feed conversion
• Breed herd rotation rate

In Contrast To Russian Treatment Of KPIs, Other Countries Regard Pigs Reared Per Sow Per Year As Of Paramount Importance.

Anton Miroshnikov, PigCHAMP representative in Russia, summarizes: “Although there are a good many different points of view on the KPIs, all of them point to the same theme – rise in profitability of pork production. In contrast to Russian treatment of KPIs, other countries regard Pigs reared per sow per year as of paramount importance. Generally we try to reach this indicator as well at the level 28.5 piglets. In addition, total litter weight per sow per year and amount of meat per sow per year (KPI is 3 tons) show overall performance.”

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- Anton Miroshnikov, PigCHAMP, Representative, Russia

- Olga Miroshnikova, PigCHAMP, Technical Assistant, Russia

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