Hogging the Skies: Largest ever air shipment of live pigs lands in China

Hypor, one of the world's top pig breeding companies, has delivered the largest single shipment of live hogs into China by air. This is also the largest shipment by air from Canada to China. The breeding stock of 816 pigs made their way from the company's nucleus farm in Saskatchewan, Canada via Chicago (US) and landed in Qingdao, Shandong province in China. The arrival of these Great Grand parent (GGP) sows and boars is the first stage of stocking Hypor's joint venture farms in China.

"The logistics of pushing through such a large shipment are incredible. It is only possible through the professionalism and diligence of people managing the pigs from the barns in Canada, their transportation via road and air, all the way to their new home in China. All 816 pigs arrived alive and in good health," said Marc Broadbent, who manages Hypor China.

On the ground in China, production manager Geert Rutten together with farm manager Wenbo Zhang made preparations move the high-health animals to the farm. Fifteen flat bed trucks were hired to transport the pigs to the farm. The trucks were cleaned and disinfected, and the truck drivers as well were disinfected with showers and new clothing.

The Boeing 747 filled with Hypor breeders arrived on October 16, unloading started promptly and the team worked until all the pigs were unloaded, watered and fed. The Hypor JV pigs are now resting in their new home. We expect to start production of Hypor offspring in China by the middle of December.

Hypor is one of the world's leading suppliers of swine genetics. Hypor is committed to providing superior genetics, which support profitability in the pork meat value chain. With its head office located in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, the company has strategically located breeding centers in North America, Europe and Asia.

Hypor is the Pig Breeding Division of multi-species breeding company Hendrix Genetics B.V. Hendrix Genetics is headquartered in Boxmeer, the Netherlands. With a number of wholly owned operations and joint ventures across the world in 24 countries on 4 continents, it serves the world's poultry and pork industry in more than 100 countries with about 1,000 employees.