Precision livestock farming (PLF) has moved from a niche concept to a core strategy in high-performance pig production. As farms scale and labor becomes tighter, producers increasingly rely on automated monitoring systems to maintain animal welfare, optimize feed efficiency, and reduce production risks.
Producers who adopt PLF tools gain a competitive advantage through improved productivity, lower mortality, and more predictable outcomes. As technology evolves, integrated sensor platforms will become the backbone of efficient, sustainable pig production.
Keeping a low level of CO2 (carbon dioxide) is vital to agricultural production and animal welfare. In poultry and pig farms, a too high CO2 level can cause higher feed consdumption rates and higher mortality, thus impacting the performance of the production significantly and lower profits for farmers and farm managers.
Carbon dioxide accumilation in the barn, can cause respiratory problems and even death, which means that monitoring the CO2 level is vital to the production. Controlling the ventilation and eliminating CO2 in the house is one of the most important factors in poultry and pig production.
In addition, high levels of CO2 can cause stress and discomfort for the animals, leading to aggressive behavior and increased risk of injury. By monitoring the CO2 level and controlling the ventilation, farmers and farm managers can create a more comfortable and healthy environment for their animals, reducing the risk of disease and improving overall welfare.
Maintaining the right climate is one of the most critical factors in efficient pig production. Pigs are highly sensitive to changes in temperature, humidity, and air quality. Any imbalance can lead to heat stress, poor feed conversion, increased disease risk, and reduced growth rates. Automated climate and ventilation systems are transforming how farmers manage these challenges — ensuring healthier animals, greater efficiency, and higher profits.
Optimal climate control directly influences animal welfare and performance. Pigs cannot sweat, so managing heat and humidity within their environment is essential. Poor air quality caused by excess ammonia, carbon dioxide, or dust can also impact respiratory health and feed intake. Manual monitoring and adjustments can be time-consuming and inconsistent, especially in large-scale operations.
Automated systems solve this by continuously monitoring environmental factors such as:
By automatically adjusting fans, heaters, and inlets, these systems keep conditions stable around the clock.
Pig production is currently under significant pressure across most regions of the world. Volatile pig prices and increasing requirements for animal welfare and sustainability are steadily eroding margins. At the same time, producers are expected to deliver consistent performance under conditions that are becoming more complex and less predictable.
For OEMs supplying equipment, systems and technology to the pig production industry, this creates a clear challenge: how to help customers maintain profitability and stability in an environment where small deviations in performance can quickly turn into substantial financial losses.
Disease outbreaks have been one of the most disruptive forces in pig production over the past decade. African Swine Fever (ASF), PRRS and other endemic diseases have had a measurable impact on global pork supply due to the sheer scale of production losses.
Between 2023 and 2025, global losses of slaughter pigs are estimated at 23–40 million animals annually, corresponding to approximately 1.8–2.8 percent of total global pig production. During the peak crisis period from 2019 to 2021, when ASF spread widely across Asia, annual losses rose dramatically to 45–70 million slaughter pigs, equivalent to 3.5–5.0 percent of global production.
These figures illustrate why disease prevention and early detection have moved from being operational concerns to becoming strategic priorities. Production losses on this scale have not only reduced supply but also contributed to increased price volatility, making revenue planning and long-term investment decisions significantly more difficult for producers.
When margins are tight, the cost of reacting too late becomes disproportionately high. Disease, stress, suboptimal climate or feed changes rarely appear overnight. In most cases, performance deterioration starts gradually, through reduced feed intake, slower growth, increased variation or subtle behavioral changes.
However, these early signals are often missed in traditional production setups. Problems are typically detected only once mortality increases, feed conversion worsens or veterinary intervention becomes necessary. At that point, the financial damage has already occurred.
For OEMs, this raises a fundamental question: how can technology provide earlier insight into performance deviations, so corrective actions can be taken before losses accumulate?
Consumer expectations are also changing rapidly. Across key markets, demand is growing for pork produced with higher animal welfare standards and minimal use of antibiotics. Retailers, processors and regulators increasingly require documentation to prove that welfare targets are being met and that antibiotic use is justified and controlled.
This development places additional pressure on producers to manage health proactively rather than reactively. Good welfare outcomes depend on stable environments, early intervention and consistent management, all of which benefit from better visibility into daily production performance.
For OEMs, the ability to support customers with data-driven insights that link welfare, health and productivity is becoming a critical differentiator.
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