Gyeonggi-do Promotes Sustainable Pig Farming Industry through Breeding Improvement and Livestock Facility Upgrades

61 Billion KRW Invested in Boosting Pig Farm Income
and Improving Environmental Conditions in Gyeonggi Province

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 22nd that it will invest 6.1 billion KRW this year to foster a sustainable pig farming industry through breeding stock improvement and livestock housing environment enhancement. Gyeonggi Province ranks second in domestic pig farming scale.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government Building. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

The "Pig Farming Industry Competitiveness Enhancement" project, which has been steadily promoted for the past 15 years, plans to secure about 1.1 billion KRW of provincial funds this year, supporting a total project cost of 6.1 billion KRW. This represents the highest budget ever, increasing by 164% compared to the previous year.

This project supports various initiatives for livestock improvement, such as carcass performance testing, conformation evaluation, and genomic analysis of pig groups, aiming to supply breeding stock with excellent genetic ability. At the same time, facilities and equipment are also supported to reduce labor and ensure stable management for farms.

In particular, this year, a trial introduction of lactating sow feeding equipment that identifies each individual, such as sows and farrowing sows, to control feed amounts will be implemented. This is expected to play an important role not only in improving productivity but also in enhancing the working environment in preparation for aging and realizing smart equipment in livestock farming.

Additionally, to prevent fire damage caused by lightning strikes and electrical accidents due to climate change and to minimize property damage to farms, the range of fire prevention device support items will be expanded. Existing facilities and equipment preferred by pig farms, such as cooling devices and mist sprayers, will continue to be supported, but the project content has been significantly supplemented to reflect the practical needs and economic difficulties of farms beyond conventional item support.

Shin Jong-kwang, Director of the Livestock Policy Division of Gyeonggi Province, said, “Pork accounts for about 35% of livestock production value and has played a major role in residents’ food and farm income. Gyeonggi Province plans to lead a new leap in the pig farming industry by not only improving productivity of pig farms but also reducing odor through livestock housing environment improvement and realizing animal welfare.”