Introduction of innovations in pig farms in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia

Crises such as the Corona pandemic, the Ukraine war and inflation are changing the pork market. Changes in the political environment and consumer behavior makes it necessary for pig farms to develop. One way to do this is to introduce innovations. As a result of this study, it can be observed that demands from society are more frequently implemented by politics and the food retail industry, making innovations necessary in the farms. Also declining market prices and price fluctuations motivate to plan and introduce innovations. The analysis shows that the implementation of planned innovations is often hampered by obstacles. Above all, the support and consulting structure is considered to be in need of improvement. Good network management, in which farm managers exchange ideas and receive positive feedback, promotes innovation. It can be concluded that farmers must be seen as innovators in their own right, in addition to applied research and developments from the upstream industry. However, recent crises could change rapid demands of politics, the willingness of customers to pay and the availability of resources, so that this can have an effect on future willingness to innovate.