Animal health industry invests in pig welfare to increase production

The animal health industry has increased investment in pig welfare, a practice that has become crucial to the success of modern pig farming in Brazil. Beyond ethical considerations, animal welfare directly impacts productivity, meat quality, and, consequently, producer profitability.

A 2014 study published in the Brazilian Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering demonstrated the link between poor welfare and reduced meat quality. Stress in animals can result in inferior products, such as PSE (pale, soft, and water-depleted) and DFD (dark, firm, and dry) meats, as well as shortening their shelf life.

The World Organization for Animal Health (WHO) defines animal welfare as ensuring that the animal is healthy, well-nourished, comfortable, safe, free from pain and stress, and can express its natural behavior.

Innovation in animal health as a market response

Recent innovations include a single-dose vaccine that prevents the three main pathogens affecting pigs:

• circovirus type 2 (PCV2), which causes weight loss and respiratory and reproductive illnesses;
• Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae , responsible for a highly contagious type of pneumonia; and
• Lawsonia intracellularis , which causes ileitis.

Fernando Chucid, director of the Swine Business Unit at MSD Animal Health, explains that "ileitis is a process of degradation of the ilium, a part of the intestine, which causes severe yield losses." This infection can result in significant economic impacts due to decreased weight gain, diarrhea, and, in some cases, mortality. In addition to lower meat productivity, the reduction in casing yield leads to losses in sausage production.

The launch of this three-in-one vaccine took place at the 2025 Brazil South Swine Symposium, in Chapecó (SC), which brought together experts to discuss topics such as health, immunity, nutrition, management and biosecurity.

The new three-in-one vaccine: efficiency and less stress

Although the market already offers effective vaccines for these three diseases in separate doses, combining the three vaccines in a single two-ml injection aims not only to reduce costs, but, above all, to enhance animal welfare, reducing discomfort and stress in animals with fewer injections.

In a new development phase, the manufacturer is studying the possibility of adapting the product to a needle-free intradermal vaccination device, replacing the intramuscular method. This technology, already used in other vaccines, is considered the most advanced method of administration for pigs, as it minimizes pain, reduces stress, and reduces the risk of accidents.

Production concentration and the pig farming scenario in Brazil

The ongoing efforts of the animal health sector and producers to improve herd well-being and health, driven by market demand and the pursuit of greater efficiency, find fertile ground in regions with high production concentration. The geographic distribution of pig farming in Brazil highlights the strategic importance of certain areas for the development and implementation of these best practices and innovations.

The Southern Region of Brazil, for example, accounts for 73% of national pork production. Data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) from 2024 indicate that Santa Catarina, Paraná, and Rio Grande do Sul were responsible for 73.13% of the sector's production in the country. Of the 46.6 million head slaughtered last year, 15.4 million (32.94%) came from Santa Catarina, 9.6 million (20.62%) from Paraná, and 9.1 million (19.57%) from Rio Grande do Sul.

Of the total production, approximately three-quarters of Brazilian pig farming supplies the domestic market, while one-quarter is exported. Per capita pork consumption in Brazil has grown over the last five years, jumping from 15.3 kg per capita in 2019 to 18.6 kg per capita in 2024, a 21.6% increase.

*The journalist traveled at the invitation of MSD Animal Health