The awards recognize production achievements for the company’s producers.
Topigs Norsvin Canada Inc.—headquartered in Oak Bluff, Manitoba—is a global leader in swine genetics, and recently held its Topigs Norsvin Canada Awards Banquets in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Stratford, Ontario, via two events for its producers. The banquets blended recognition for outstanding production achievements and opportunities for producers to connect.
The Western banquet’s emcee, Russ Penner, kicked off the Winnipeg event with some humour, but he quickly turned to the heart of the matter—highlighting the company’s commitment to family values and its collaborative approach with customers. Expressing heartfelt gratitude, Penner commended producers for their hard work, strong management, and the dedication of their barn teams. “Thank you for your trust in our genetics; your success is our success, and together we will continue to improve.”
At the Eastern banquet, Veronica Anderson expressed appreciation for the continued partnership and commitment to excellence in the swine industry.
Reflecting on the evening, Cam McGavin, Topigs Norsvin Canada’s General Manager, remarked, “The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with attendees eager to share stories, discuss their work, and forge deeper connections. This evening, in particular, highlighted the importance of those connections—with customers and with the dedicated barn staff who work day in and day out to bring their expertise to life.”
The main event, the presentation of awards denoted Topigs Norsvin customers achieving remarkable results, once again surpassing previous years. Participation in the SMS Benchmarking program is voluntary, and 2024 saw a record-breaking 131 farms with 167,385 sows across Canada, with herd sizes averaging 1,278 sows per farm and an average PSY of 29.58.
28+ Club Awards
This year, the 28+ Club Award was presented to 105 farms, representing 80 percent of the Topigs Norsvin Canada herds and a combined total of 134,049 sows.
Impressively, the 2024 farms in the 28+ Club averaged 30.50 pigs weaned per mated female per year—a clear testament to the dedication and skill of these producers.
Best New Herd Start-up:
The recipient of Best New Herd Start-up in the West was Cypress Colony of Saskatchewan. Cypress Colony’s average parity was 1.0, with an average of 14.2 piglets born alive per litter, 13.44 piglets weaned per litter, and a PSY of 34.4.
In the East, the Best New Herd Start-up award went to Corner Ridge Farms in Ontario. Corner Ridge Farms has an average parity of 1.31, 13.66 piglets born alive per litter, 12.75 weaned per litter, and a PSY of 30.96.
Benchmarking Data Summary:
A total of 934 farms were included in the SMS benchmarking data, with an average sow inventory of 1,811 per farm.
Among these, 200 farms were Topigs Norsvin herds (69 in the United States and 131 in Canada), with an average of 1,743 sows per herd.
The average farrowing rate for the combined benchmarked herds was 85.5 percent, which was consistent with the average for the 200 Topigs Norsvin herds.
However, the 131 Canadian Topigs Norsvin herds achieved an even higher average farrowing rate of 86.5 percent.
Topigs Norsvin herds also stood out by weaning 1.2 more piglets per sow per year than the combined SMS benchmarking average. Within this group, Topigs Norsvin Canada herds excelled further, achieving the highest PSY at 29.58—surpassing both the combined SMS benchmarked herd average of 27.87 and the Topigs Norsvin United States herd average of 28.61.
Sow loss was another key area of distinction. Topigs Norsvin Canada herds reported an average sow loss of 8.6 percent, compared to 9.6 percent for Topigs Norsvin United States herds and 11.1 percent for all SMS farm herds.
When comparing Topigs Norsvin herds (348,544 sows across 200 farms) to non-Topigs Norsvin herds (1,342,805 sows on 734 farms), the results were striking.
Topigs Norsvin herds weaned 1.90 more pigs per mated female per year, increasing the value of each sow by $85.50 annually. Additionally, Topigs Norsvin herds demonstrated a 2.5 percent lower sow mortality rate, equating to approximately $0.95 in savings per weaned pig, based on estimates from large US integrators.
This year, Topigs Norsvin Canada herd summaries were organized by farms with and without health challenges. Among the 13 herds reporting health challenges, such as PRRS or other production-limiting diseases, the impact on performance was evident.
Despite these obstacles, these health-challenged herds still achieved an impressive average PSY of 27.96. This remarkable achievement emphasizes the power of robust genetics and strong management practices, even under significant pressure. Furthermore, it highlights the critical importance of eradicating diseases to unlock the full potential of production systems.