Benchmark Magazine Article Archive

“I grew up on our family’s farm in Northeast Missouri. After college I married my husband, Jared. He and his family are row crop farmers, and together we teach our children, Stella, Morgan, and Carter how to care for our animals and land to the best of our ability.”

Through the Looking Glass: Past~Present~Future. We know that knowledge of the past helps us today and leads us to be better in the future. Today, the swine industry is fighting a global battle after the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the prevention or rebuilding after African Swine Fever (ASF) and other swine diseases.

Over the years, there have been many changes on how swine operations obtain knowledge of their herd’s performance, as well as the resources used for production management. In the past, sow data was saved on input tablets, small pocket notebooks, and large devices that were carried in the barn.

It’s a new scenario for pig production because of two major factors, African Swine Fever (ASF) and Covid-19. Market prices are volatile, knowing how global prices will evolve will not be easy to predict.

Across the globe, PigCHAMP databases house records on millions of animals. On the farm, managers use this information to make daily management decisions – to breed or to cull? To retain or to sell? Analysis of cumulative data helps managers with long-term business planning and decision making. Users of PigCHAMP software have come to rely on this data to manage their day-to-day operations, to grow their farm businesses and to keep their animals healthy.