What is the change in percentage of finishing mortality that indicates improvement?

Improvement in finishing mortality is indicated by a decrease in the percentage of deaths among pigs during the finishing phase of production. A reduction in mortality reflects better management practices, improved health, or enhanced genetics among other factors.

When examining the options, a change of -2% signifies that the mortality rate has decreased by two percentage points, which indicates a clear improvement. In the context of swine production, this is a meaningful and significant reduction that can lead to better overall profitability and efficiency, as it suggests that more pigs are reaching market weight successfully.

While negative values indicate improvement, an increase or a stable mortality rate (0% change) would mean there is no improvement or even a worsening situation. Therefore, a decrease of -2% is the strongest indicator of improved finishing mortality amongst the available options.