The French pig sector thirty years after. From autarky to international competitiveness

France has chosen his way to develop pig production during the years 60, at the early stage of the European Common Market.Due to the lack of efficiency against other European countries, France became quickly a net importer for pig meat. After a crisis particularly heavy in 1969, the French government gave subsidies, in order to rationalise this sector. The French pig farms were very small. So, the plan was to sustain the construction of a modern industry with independent farmers, technically efficient, more specialised in pig production. The goal of the plan was also to develop a new system of genetics and to give farmers and technical advisors a good training. The plan has given this project a leader, the producers community. These choices do still have a large influence on the present situation of the sector.The region Bretagne has taken these opportunities to develop and to modernise his production faster than each other French region. During the following years specialised organisations and efficient industries such as animal feed facilities and packing plants were built in Bretagne as well.Nevertheless the French deficit for pig meat became larger until 1985. Afterwards it began to diminish and France became a net exporter in 1994. The largest packing and meat processing plants export to European Union and third countries, thanks to their efficient facilities and trade teams as well.During the ten last years, the pig production went up in regions near the Bretagne, Pays-de-la-Loire and Basse-Normandie, but not in other French regions. The geographical concentration with larger farms and other industries gives strong economical advantages to the high density regions. But this development faces now limits, particularly environmental, which requires original solutions.