Local characteristics of pig farming
For most farmers interviewed (22/30, 74%), pig farming was the main
source of income and for 26% this activity was only complementary. The
majority of farms (20/30 67%) were specialized in breeding-fattening,
an activity that requires considerable investment, but offers a certain
autonomy, since the breeder takes care of births, breeds and fatten the
pigs himself. The remaining 33% were fatteners that ensured the growth
and finishing of the pigs until slaughtering. More than a third of
farmers (39%) were in possession of an organic farming label and most
farmers processed the meat themselves (20/30 67%). Among those, (10/24
42%) had their own processing workshop and (14/24 58%) manufactured
their meat in a Cooperative. Slaughter on the farm was practiced by 20%
of farmers, once a year for their own consumption. The average size of
the pig herds among the interviewed farmers consisted of 75 animals
(median 50, IQR [2.4: 30.4]). The average herd was composed of 3
sows and 1 boar, with an annual progeny of 11 piglets on average and 60
pigs for fattening by breeding (medians and IQRs are provided in Table
3). The majority of farms (84%) opted for deliberately keeping a
mixture of different breeds because they claimed that domestic pig
hybrids provided a better yield and were more resistant to stay all year
round outdoors. However, 16% of farmers claimed a preference for the
Mangalitza, a rustic Hungarian breed renowned for the quality of its
meat. A significant proportion of farms (42%) covered an area
<3 ha, 39% have an area between 3 and 6 ha and 19% of farms
have a large area > 6 ha. Among the 30 farms interviewed, a
total of 7 farms had no fence. However, 6 of them were protected by 2 to
4 electric wires. A group of 18 farms had one fence and 1 to 4 electric
wires and 3 farms had 2 fences and 2 to 4 electric wires. Finally, one
farm had a wall and one farm a fully electrified fence. Two farms
admitted that part of their farming area was not fenced, the pigs being
able to leave and enter at their will. In terms of practices
facilitating indirect pathogen spread in the environment, five farmers
(16%) recognized releasing slurry for fertilizing crops at least once a
year, while seven of them (23%) admitted releasing farm slaughtering
waste into the environment, allowing scavenging by other wild or
domestic animals. In addition, several risky practices were found to be
more common in the OD area (abandonment of waste in the wild (n = 4),
slurry spreading (n = 4) and presence of wild boars in the slurry spread
area (n = 3) than in the rest of the Department. Similarly, a larger
proportion of farms with low to intermediate levels of biosecurity
(21/30), were located inside the OD area (Fig. 2).