title: Incentive mechanisms for liver lesion control in finishing pigs in the Netherlands.
abstract: Liver lesion prevalence in slaughtered finishing pigs in the Netherlands remained relatively high from the mid-1990s until 2004, although sufficient measures existed to control the main cause, an infection with the roundworm Ascaris suum. In July 2004 a new incentive mechanism was installed to induce finishing pig producers to increase control of A. suum infections. This paper compares the effectiveness of two Dutch incentive mechanisms: a collective insurance - in place prior to July 2004 - and a reduction in producer payment for each delivered pig with a liver lesion - in place from July 2004. Liver inspection data of pigs slaughtered in 2003-2006 by a major Dutch slaughter company were analysed with an out-of-sample dynamic forecast test and non-parametric bootstrapping. Results showed that after introduction of the price reduction, mean liver lesion prevalence decreased from 9 to 5%. A reduced liver lesion prevalence ranging from 0 to 46 percentage points was observed on 67% of 1069 farms that delivered both during the insurance and the price reduction. The number of farms with a liver lesion prevalence of 5.0% or less increased from 52 to 68%. The price reduction for each pig with a liver lesion was a more effective incentive mechanism to induce finishing pig producers to control A. suum infections than the collective insurance.
authors.affiliation: LEI Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 29703, 2502 LS, Den Haag, The Netherlands. coen.vanwagenberg@wur.nl
authors.forename: C P A
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: van Wagenberg
authors.forename: G B C
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Backus
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Kuiper
authors.forename: J G A J
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: van der Vorst
authors.forename: H A P
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Urlings
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs / Q000191:economics*; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000191:economics*; D000818:Animals; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D017165:Ascaris suum; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008109:Liver Diseases, Parasitic / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D009426:Netherlands; D015995:Prevalence; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control