Advantages, disadvantages of intensive pig farming | Agriculture (2023)

FAQs

What are the advantages of pig farming? ›

Since they are able to recycle most materials (which they eat and convert to meat), pigs help farmers to largely reduce feeding costs and waste. Pigs also have a high resistance to diseases (these guys hardly get sick) and adapt easily to most environments (hot or cold).

SEMI-INTENSIVE

In this system, the farmer provides housing for the animals and allows them to move out to feed on natural vegetation. The farmer provides paddocks around the housing, which he has fenced. Wallow pits and shades are also provided within the farm.

Some issues such as management, hygiene and disease outbreaks need careful thought. Buying balanced pig feed will be more expensive up front, but pigs will grow faster and be marketable earlier. At the same time, an issue such as daily waste removal from housing requires more labor.

Intensive pig farming, also known as pig factory farming, is the primary method of pig production, in which grower pigs are housed indoors in group-housing or straw-lined sheds, whilst pregnant sows are housed in gestation crates or pens and give birth in farrowing crates.

The principal disadvantage is the need for high quality litter. If this is produced by the owner, it is of little significance, but if it must be purchased, it becomes an economic factor. In either case, the litter and manure must be removed periodically.

Intensive farming causes damage to land and ecosystems which can negatively impact investors. Growing awareness is now developing around the side effects of pesticides and fertilisers used heavily on crops fed to farmed animals.

In semi-intensive method, the birds are kept in an open yard surrounded by wire nets in the daytime and are confined to a house during the night. In intensive method, the birds are kept confined throughout the day and night.

What is the meaning of intensive farming? ›

intensive agriculture, in agricultural economics, system of cultivation using large amounts of labour and capital relative to land area.

Beginning about 5,000 years ago, the development of intensive farming methods became necessary as the human population grew in some major river valleys to levels beyond the carrying capacity of the environment using horticulture and pastoralism.

The Problem with Traditional Farming Methods

Besides being inaccessible to the greater public, it poses a risk to the environment due to urbanization, deforestation, lack of space, and water shortages around the world.

If the main crop is damaged, the inter crop will be the life saviour of the farmer. The land exposed will be less, if an intercrop is added, there by reducing the weed growth. The run off can be reduced. Soil erosion can be decreased.

Eating pork products, which are loaded with artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat, is a good way to increase your waistline and increase your chances of developing deadly diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, asthma, and impotence.

1) Sometimes fertility and productivity of the soils is lowered, if suitable soil management practices are not followed. 2) Soil structure may be deteriorated. 3) Increases infestation of pests, diseases and weeds. land in a one calendar year known as multiple cropping.

Definition. Specialized system of breeding animals where the livestock are kept indoors and fed on concentrated foodstuffs, with frequent use of drugs to control diseases which are a constant threat under these conditions.

intensive in American English

designating a system of farming which aims at the increase of yield per acre by using increased labor, capital, etc.

What is intensive animal farming called? ›

'Factory' Farming or 'Intensive' Farming refers to the globally adopted farming system that involves crowding large groups of livestock into confined indoor spaces, such as stalls or cages.

Pig farming is a laborious and capital-intensive venture which may preclude women in some areas of production and management.

Optimal use of these materials and machines produces significantly greater crop yields per unit of land than extensive agriculture, which uses little capital or labour. As a result, a farm using intensive agriculture will require less land than an extensive agriculture farm to produce a similar profit.

Intensive livestock is based on livestock farming in small areas. For this, more advanced technologies and techniques are used, as well as genetic manipulation and artificial insemination. Extensive livestock farming is about raising animals in larger areas and grazing. The purposes are usually for marketing.

extensive agriculture, in agricultural economics, system of crop cultivation using small amounts of labour and capital in relation to area of land being farmed. The crop yield in extensive agriculture depends primarily on the natural fertility of the soil, the terrain, the climate, and the availability of water.

noun. dis·​ad·​van·​tage ˌdis-əd-ˈvan-tij. : loss or damage especially to reputation, credit, or finances : detriment. the deal worked to their disadvantage. : an unfavorable, inferior, or prejudicial condition.

a condition or situation that causes problems, especially one that causes something or someone to be less successful than other things or people: One disadvantage of living in the town is the lack of safe places for children to play. We need to consider whether the disadvantages of the plan outweigh the advantages.

Extensive farming disadvantages Yields of crops and livestock are much lower than in intensive farming systems so there is a much lower yield to hectare ratio and therefore the food produced is of a higher cost and can even sometimes due to its low productivity have a larger carbon footprint than intensive farming.

Intensive Farming refers to an agricultural system, wherein there is high level use of labor and capital, in comparison to the land area. Extensive Farming is a farming technique, in which large farms are being cultivated, with relatively lower inputs, i.e. capital and labor.

What are the disadvantages of continuous farming? ›

However, continuous-cropping can negatively affect soil fertility and physicochemical properties, leading a decline in crop productivity¹. Many crops, both perennial and annual, experience suppressed plant growth and decreased yield when repeatedly planted in the same site².

Environmental Impact

Intensive agriculture, particularly in CAFOs, is responsible for air and water pollution caused by manure and synthetic fertilizer. Some pesticides used in intensive farming have damaged crops, while others continue to persist in soils decades after being eliminated from agricultural use.

Intensive farming has already had a huge effect on biodiversity and the environment worldwide. Pesticides, which have helped boost cereal and fruit production, have also killed bees and myriad species of insects in large numbers. Fertilisers that have improved poor soils have also had unintended harmful consequences.

Intensive farming of animals

This has an impact on food security because animal farming wastes more energy because the food chain is longer. It is much more efficient to grow crops so more people can be fed per area of land. In addition, farmed animals are often fed crops which could be consumed by humans.

Intensive properties do not depend on the quantity of matter. Examples include density, state of matter, and temperature. Extensive properties do depend on sample size. Examples include volume, mass, and size.

An intensive property is one that does not depend on the mass of the substance or system. Temperature (T), pressure (P) and density (r) are examples of intensive properties.

Extensification of farming is the opposite of intensification. It is the process of decreasing the use of capital and inputs (e.g. fertilisers, pesticides, machinery) relative to land area.

Intensive farming methods can increase the likelihood of animal-to-human transmission of pathogens, scientists say. Intensive farming practices provide the perfect environment for bacteria and viruses to spread across the world and increase the risk of epidemics, scientists have said.

Intensive farming is expensive as the farmer tries to get the maximum field from his small land using hybrid seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, etc.

Is intensive farming ethical? ›

Intensive farming is less ethical than free range farming due to poorer animal welfare. Improving the welfare of domesticated animals involves increased costs. An expensive initial payment is needed from the farmer, as free range requires more land.

Commercial farming is capital intensive as it involves huge capital investment and large lands. The produce from such kinds of agriculture serves as the raw material for several industries. Most of the work in this kind of farming is done by the machines so this is capital intensive.

Apart from climate considerations, he can sum up more disadvantages: water use is generally higher than in conventional pig production, feed conversion ratios are quite high due to the pigs' exercise, maintenance is labour intensive and there is a risk of increased pathogen exposure when pigs are kept outside.

Gullible, slow-witted, faltering

Although they are loyal to friends but they actually do not have many friends in return. They are hot-tempered and impulsive and are not good in communication. If they play pranks on people, they won' t know when to stop.

They have fast growth rates and good feed-to-meat conversion ratios; are relatively easy to raise, and do not require much space; have prolific breeding potential; and are docile. These factors not only lead to increased profitability but will surely assist in meeting the growing demand for meat in future.

In a study published in the Journal of Organic Systems , researchers found that feeding pigs Genetically Modified (GM) corn and soy resulted in a higher rate of severe stomach inflammation than pigs fed non-GM diets.

The principal advantages of this system are easy access for feeding, watering and egg gathering, good protection and reasonable investment. The principal disadvantage is the need for high quality litter.

Livestock farming is a disaster for the environment. Worldwide it is responsible for half of the greenhouse gas emissions and it is the biggest cause of biodiversity loss, habitat destruction and water pollution. A transition to a plant-based diet would dramatically decrease these problems.

What are disadvantages of raising pigs in slatted elevated flooring? ›

There are moves within the EU to ban fully slatted-floor systems for finishers, as they are considered bad for a pig's welfare by being uncomfortable and potentially increasing leg problems, tail-biting and are a relatively barren environment for pigs to express their normal behaviour of rooting etc.

For example, feeding restriction is commonly practiced with market pigs to improve carcass quality and feed efficiency while decreasing production costs. Ad-libitum feeding, particularly if it involves feeds of energy density tends to promote synthesis of body fat which is inefficient in terms of feed conversion.

Wet feeding is becoming a popular feeding method for pig production. It's advantages include increased feed intake, improved growth rates (Payne, 1991), greater feed efficiency (Chae et al., 1997) and reduced wastage of feed and water (Forbes and Walker, 1968; Maton and Daelemans, 1991).

Feral pigs are considered an environmental pest due to their selective feeding, trampling and rooting for underground parts of plants and invertebrates. They also compete with native wildlife for food, water and shelter and prey directly on various wildlife species and their eggs.

If you call someone a swine, you dislike them or think that they are a bad person, usually because they have behaved unpleasantly toward you. A swine is a pig.