Explore all the information onSwine industry
The swine industries of the world are very dynamic and continue to evolve and change along with the external forces that shape agriculture world-wide. The factors influencing change are generally related to economic efficiency and competition from alternative protein sources. The global trend is for fewer producers, responsible for larger numbers of pigs, and more concentration within the swine industry. The ability to maintain economic viability is a function of providing optimal facilities, genetics, nutrition, and health programs to the pig in a system that addresses cost of production and generating revenue from the marketing of a high-quality product.
Swine production in the 21st century has become quite sophisticated. Many pork producers have transitioned away from raising purebred pigs for food and instead are raising crossbred pigs carefully selected for a specific need. These systems involve purposeful selection of the grandparent animals that usually selected with a maternal or terminal emphasis in composite breeding programs that emphasize the benefits of breed complimenting. The resulting offspring are called parent stock which are then bred to produce crossbred terminal animals.
Maintaining and increasing the demand for Manitoba pork, in both domestic and international markets, will depend heavily on such factors as the assurances of food safety, environmental sustainability, animal welfare, and the final quality of the product. Programs, such as CQA™ , have been designed and, when implemented, will go a long way to assure consumers of the safety of our pork products. However, while food safety is of critical importance and provides a strong measure of the...
Engormix.com will cover the 21st International Pig Veterinary Society (IPVS) Congress in Vancouver (Canada) from July 18 to 21, 2010. The coverage will include interviews to lecturers and clients, as well as photographs and videos.
The theme of IPVS 2010 is Sharing Ideas - Advancing Pig Health. This 21st IPVS Congress will build on the successes of previous IPVS Congresses while maintaining the flexibility to provide current and future opportunities for swine veterinarians and...
Nowadays aspects of meat quality are quite important issues, such as physical and sensory characteristics, nutritional value, and safety. Meat quality is affected by several factors i.e. genotype, nutritional and management conditions, and pre- and post slaughter conditions. Genotype unsuitable for the adequate processing aim, improper nutritional and management conditions and pre- and post slaughter conditions notably increase the water-holding capacity, as one of the important parameter of...
Austrian pig stocks have seen a 2.9% rise, a total figure of 3 151 000 animals, in compared to the data from the last national census in December 2008.
An increase in piglets and young pigs are primarily responsible for this rise, their numbers rising by 4.4% to 1 673 000 animals. The stock of fattening pigs rose during the same period by 1.4% to 1 179 000 animals while the stock of breeding sows almost remained constant at 292 000 (+0.2%).
At regional level the three important...
The Government of Canada is delivering a comprehensive restructuring plan for pork producers by investing in key marketing initiatives to get more customers buying Canadian pork, providing government-backed credit to help viable operations weather the current economic uncertainty and helping struggling operations to transition out of the industry.
"We know Canadian hog producers can become profitable again, but we have to face tough realities to make our pork industry lean and...
Stockwell Day, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, and Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, welcomed Russia's decision to lift restrictions on imports of pork, pork products and live swine from Ontario.
"During my visit to Russia, I assured my ministerial counterparts that Canadian pork is safe," said Minister Day. "Today's announcement by Russia demonstrates that our government is opening...
The costs of producing piglets and pork in the Netherlands have come down over the last six months. Producing a piglet in July 2009 costs 50.09 euros, whereas producing 1 kg of pork costs 1.59 euros.
These prices, calculated by Wageningen University and Research Centre's Animal Sciences Group (ASG) were based on actual feed prices and on the basis of technical and economic results throughout 2008. Every year...
by Dr Rogério G.T. da Cunha and Luciana Martins
Looking at the country's vast amounts of plains, Uruguay has good conditions for a thriving pork and/or poultry industry. It's located right besides Rio Grande do Sul, the southern most Brazilian state, which cares for about one sixth of the Brazilian pork production. Considering the animal health situation, Uruguay is in a privileged position as well. Dr Ricardo Cochran...
How can we produce pigs that provide us with healthy and yet good tasting meat? Meat eating quality and healthiness are closely related to the amount and type of fat. During the last decade there has been extensive selection towards leaner genotypes which has resulted in reduction of not only undesirable subcutaneous fat, but also in a dramatic decrease in desirable intramuscular fat (commonly known as "marbling" fat). Intramuscular fat has the key input in meat...
Scientists are investigating if alternative pig breeds can supply new, tasty meat products.
The Hungarian woolly pig looks like a cross between a sheep and a pig. It may also be an interesting new supplier of exciting new gourmet products. Photo: Danish Pig...
The Canadian Pork Council is assuring the public of the safety of pork following the discovery of H1N1 flu in an Alberta swine herd.
On Saturday the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced an Alberta swine herd had been placed under quarantine following the discovery of H1N1 Influenza A in the herd.
The pigs are believed to have been exposed by a Canadian who recently returned from Mexico and had been exhibiting flu like symptoms.
Signs of illness were subsequently...
Several investigators have reported improvements in swine growth and meat quality when the animals' diet is supplemented with vitamin C. However, other studies have yielded inconsistent results, as some investigators have documented no effects or even negative effects of vitamin C supplements.
Vitamin C's effect on pork quality may be the result of changes in the metabolism of glucose and glycogen. One of the breakdown products of vitamin C is oxalic acid, which has been shown to...
More than a year after developing a mysterious neurological disorder eventually linked to their inhalation of aerosolized pig brains, 24 pork plant workers have regained their health.
Their recovery, described Tuesday in a presentation scheduled for the American Academy of Neurology's annual conference, ends a story that began in November 2006, when three workers at a Quality Pork Processors plant in Austin, Minnesota reported strange and similar symptoms: fatigue, numb and tingling...
In a newsletter, the Swiss Association for Pig Health (SVSM) and the Swiss Society of Veterinary Surgeons (GST) said that they 'will do everything possible to ensure the introduction of vaccination against boar taint'. Experts say that there is no way you can get rid of the male smell of testosterone and semen, the last thing a male pig does when killed is ejaculate. If the animal is young enough and not sexually active well then it is a different matter. ...
A very targeted message on the health benefits of including beef and pork protein in a balanced diet hit the mark last year as the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Mexico office delivered nutritional and educational seminars for healthcare professionals in a country with an extremely high rate of obesity and weight-related health issues.
USMEF conducted 119 seminars in 2008 that provided nearly 5,000 health professionals with nutritional information on U.S. beef and pork. These...
An edible Gelidium corneum gelatine (GCG) blend film containing grapefruit seed extract (GFSE) or green tea extract (GTE) could be used to the increase the microbial safety and extend the shelf life of packaged pork loins, according to a study to be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Food Science.
Edible films containing plant antimicrobials are gaining in importance as potential treatments for...
The first study documenting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in swine and swine workers in the United States has been published by University of Iowa researchers.
The investigators found a strain of MRSA, known as ST398, in a swine production system in the Midwest, according to the paper published online Jan. 23 by the science journal PLoS One.
"Our results show that colonization of swine by MRSA was very common in one of two corporate swine production...
Salmonella is a significant food safety hazard of food and control of this organism will continue to be a challenge to the pork industry. Previous research shows that a higher Salmonella prevalence for pigs tested at slaughter, compared to when they are tested on farm. The stress of transportation and improper handling were blamed for causing this phenomenon. Stress has been suggested as a reason for increased Salmonella shedding and cross contamination between Salmonella-carrying and...
Selenium is an essential trace mineral that is required in very minute amounts by all animals, including pigs. Certain soils in the U.S. and Canada are low in selenium, including the north central and eastern regions of Canada and the northeastern, Pacific, southwestern, and extreme southeastern regions of the U.S (see figure). As a result, crops grown in these areas are also low in this trace mineral and, without supplemental levels, diets mixed exclusively from ingredients grown in these...
The profile of dioxins found in the tainted Irish pork meat is similar to those found in electronic transformer oils, claims the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
Routine testing of the food chain last week by Irish food safety officials found pig feed tainted with toxic dioxins, and the Irish government, as a result, ordered the food industry on Saturday to recall all domestically produced pork products from the market.
Yesterday, officials confirmed that...