Biosecurity assessment in backyard pig production in Serbia – first results of pilot testing by using the Biocheck.UGent tool

In Serbia, over 50% of pigs are raised on backyard farms with expected low biosecurity. The aim of this study was to assess biosecurity measures on 31 backyard farms in Serbia. To asses this the Biocheck.Ugent biosecurity scoring tool for backyard/small-scale pig farms was applied. An average of 40.8 pigs per farm (sows, piglets, fatteners) was determined. Pig production was primarily for family consumption (74.2%), while 25.8% of farms had commercial activities. The average total biosecurity score was 56.9% (±11.3) with 54.9% (±10.4) for external and 61.9% (±17.6) for internal biosecurity. Some important findings where the fact that 48.4% of farms had access to outdoor areas of which 93.5% were fenced. Other animals were present in 77.4% of farms. Only one farm had a quarantine area. Mating occurred in 54.8% of farms of which 52.9% by natural mating, 35.3% by artificial insemination, and 11.8% using both. Vehicle disinfection was not practiced in 45.2% of farms. Home slaughtering was common (87.1%), and only three farms sold pigs at local markets. Carcasses were mostly buried or burned. Only one farm used service of rendering company. Commercial feed was used on 80.6% of farms, while in 38.7% swill feeding was practiced. Rodent control was in place in only 19.3% of the farms and contact with wild animals was possible in all farms. Only 12.9% of farmers received biosecurity training. Farm-specific clothing and boots were available in 77.4% of the farms, while hand washing was practiced only after handling pigs. Indoor areas had solid floors (87.1%), but only 51.6% were cleaned daily. Disinfection was “sometimes” performed in 51.6% of farms. The results demonstrate ample room for improvement in many aspects of biosecurity in these settings. The Biocheck.ugent scoring tool has demonstrated to be a valuable tool for evaluating biosecurity and identifying areas for improvement.