Farm-level factors associated with above-average production on pig farms in Evia, Greece

The aim of this study was to identify farm-level factors associated with above-average production of pig farms in Evia, Greece. Cross-sectional data on pig farm characteristics and management, farmer characteristics, worming practices, anthelmintics used, and the parasite loads of 10 randomly selected boars, sows, weaners, and fatteners were collected from 28 pig enterprises in the Evian region of Greece (74% of the total number of pig enterprises in this region). Above-average productivity was defined as weaning 18 or more piglets per sow per year. A multivariate logistic regression model found that employing immigrant workers reduced the odds of a farm being an above-average producer (OR 0.016, 95% CI 0.001-0.27), while having a veterinarian select the anthelmintic strategy significantly increased the odds of a farm being an above-average producer (OR 10.24, 95% CI 0.78-135.13). None of the gastrointestinal parasites under investigation were significantly associated with above-average productivity. It is concluded that despite the fact that endoparasite load was not significantly associated with above-average production, a quantification of the impact of intestinal worms on pig productivity is needed to know how much control can be envisaged for gastrointestinal worms before reaching the threshold at which it is no longer physically or financially reasonable to continue pursuing control. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.