# The impact of swine diseases on total factor productivity of pig farms of different scales in China

## TL;DR

This study explores how swine diseases affect productivity in Chinese pig farms of different sizes.

## Contribution

The study reveals how diseases impact productivity differently across farm scales in China.

## Key findings

- A 1% increase in disease cases raises TFP by 0.018 units in large-scale farms.
- Disease cases reduce TFP by 0.041 units in small-scale farms.
- Diseases mainly affect TFP through technical change in major pig-producing regions.

## Abstract

Animal diseases threaten pig production by reducing growth efficiency and farm profitability. Total factor productivity (TFP), reflecting technological progress, organizational improvement, and resource allocation, provides a comprehensive measure of farm performance. Yet, the impact of diseases on TFP in pig farming remains unclear. This study examines the effects of animal diseases on TFP across different farm sizes in China using provincial panel data from 2007 to 2020.

A 1% increase in disease cases raises TFP by 0.018 units in large-scale farms, reduces it by 0.041 units in small-scale farms, and shows no significant effect for medium-scale farms. Mechanism analysis indicates that diseases mainly affect TFP through technical change, while heterogeneity analysis shows stronger effects in major pig-producing regions.

Diseases, though adverse shocks, have spurred technological progress and TFP in large-scale farms but significantly constrained TFP in small-scale farms. These findings underscore the need to promote technological innovation, account for scale heterogeneity in policy design, and strengthen the resilience of small- and medium-scale farms to ensure sustainable development of the swine industry.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40813-025-00484-z.