A classification of French pig farms : methodology, analysis and first results

The global aim of this study is to create a classification of the existing pig production systems. Based on the Agricultural Census of 2000 (RA 2000), the classification of the pig farming system will be based on an analytical and statistical study. All farms with five sows or more, or with twenty pigs or more are concerned by this operation. There are 19 600 of them, which represents 99% of the French pig livestock but only a third of the farms possessing at least one pig. The identified indicators will describe all the productions that can be found on the farm and will be grouped by themes.Data analysis (Factor, components and cluster analysis) enables identification and separation into four distinct groups :1. Farms with mainly vegetal production and a pig production unit (5 400 farms)2. Big farms specialised in pig production (3 500 farms)3. Farms with many productions including a pig unit (4 100 farms)4. Farms with cow milk production and pig production (6 300 farms)A closer study will describe more precisely the different types and lead to a comparison of the classification with the reality of the production. It will also give an indication of structural evolutions between the two main agricultural Census (1988 and 2000). This analysis opens a field of investigation on the probable evolution of pig production in the context of CAP (decrease of European aids in milk, beef and cereal production).