Assessment of the Lithuanian Pig Farming Sector via Prospective Farm Size

Aistė Galnaitytė (), Irena Kriščiukaitienė, Virginia Namiotko and Vida Dabkienė
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Aistė Galnaitytė: Institute of Economics and Rural Development, Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, A. Vivulskio Str. 4A-13, LT 03220 Vilnius, Lithuania
Irena Kriščiukaitienė: Institute of Economics and Rural Development, Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, A. Vivulskio Str. 4A-13, LT 03220 Vilnius, Lithuania
Virginia Namiotko: Institute of Economics and Rural Development, Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, A. Vivulskio Str. 4A-13, LT 03220 Vilnius, Lithuania
Vida Dabkienė: Institute of Economics and Rural Development, Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, A. Vivulskio Str. 4A-13, LT 03220 Vilnius, Lithuania

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-19

Abstract: Scientists, politicians, and practitioners are debating the current structure of pig farms in Lithuania, as medium and small farms have almost disappeared over the past decade. The debated problem is whether the revitalization of medium and small pig farms would sustainably contribute to self-sufficiency in pork production. Therefore, this research aims to determine which farms in terms of size could offer the best prospect for Lithuania. In order to achieve this aim, the multicriteria evaluation method TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution) was used. The production and economic indicators of the Lithuanian pig farming sector in Lithuania and in the context of the selected EU countries of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Spain, France, Latvia, Netherlands, Austria, and Poland were analyzed. The main research period was 2004–2022. The multicriteria evaluation led to the conclusion that Danish pig farms were the best-managed. Large industrial farms were found to dominate in that country. Large pig farms (approximately two thousand sows) appeared as the best prospect in Lithuania: they took first place in the years examined (2016–2021). The criterion estimate of their assessed indicators was much higher than that of the medium (100 sows) and small (20 sows) farms. The main reasons are significantly higher labor productivity, lower cost, lower price, and better production indicators. Large pig farms generate relatively higher incomes and can meet the increasing environmental requirements and devote a larger part of the income to wages. Further research should consider the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy, which are of great importance to farms and policymakers.

Keywords: pig farming; farm size; TOPSIS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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