Modern aspects of European pig breeding: trends, problems and prospects

The European Union is the second largest pork producer in the world after China, the largest exporter of pig production, and also one of the world leaders in selection and breeding work and pork production technologies. Among the EU countries it is necessary to allocate Denmark, which is leading in terms of the development and using of progressive technologies in pig production; and also in getting, growing and export of high-value breeding young pigs to different countries, including Germany and France. In general, in the European Union countries, hog production is a developed and science-intensive industry; however, before the European pig breeding industry there are serious problems that become more relevant every year, and they have a global essence. This article reflects the importance of the pig breeding for the European Union; the basic aspects and modern trends of European pig production are inspected, including the use of environmentally friendly, resource-saving technologies for the production of "organic" products, as well as measures aimed at maintaining the welfare and comfortable life of pigs, and the quality of pork. An overview is given of the total number of pigs, the level of production and consumption of pig production in the European Union. The prospects of development, problems and ways to improve the efficiency of pig production in the countries of the European Union are reflected.