Danish pork producer earns more from Swedish pigs

Danish pork producer Kim Kjær Knudsen earns more per kilogram of pork in Sweden than in Denmark, despite higher welfare standards, national broadcaster DR reports.

Knudsen, whose family operates 10,000 sows producing around 380,000 pigs annually, owns a farm in Sweden where production costs are higher but so are profits. Swedish pigs fetch 18 Danish kroner per kilogram, compared to 11 kroner in Denmark, according to Sweden’s Board of Agriculture.

Production in Sweden costs about 2.50 kroner more per kilogram due to stricter space requirements, increased labor, and higher feed consumption. Swedish pigs require 1 square meter each, while Danish pigs have 0.65 square meters. Swedish sows roam freely, unlike their Danish counterparts, which are often restrained.

Knudsen, who describes himself as a “bacon baron” rather than a “pig baron,” is expanding his Swedish operation from 1,000 to 2,000 sows, doubling annual production to 60,000 pigs. The move is driven by economics, not welfare ideals.

“It costs more to produce, but there are consumers willing to pay for it,” Knudsen said. He compares Danish pork to a Škoda—cheap and efficient—while Swedish pork is an Audi, a premium product.

Denmark exports up to 90 percent of its pork, much of it to Europe. Knudsen argues that welfare standards should be addressed at the EU level, as Danish production serves a continental market.