Animal welfare: two words which have been frequentlypronounced in recent years by many official national andEuropean bodies, as well as by livestock handlers. But whatmakes this issue so important? On the face of it, it is con-sumers of meat who demand a high standard of animalwelfare in the breeding of animals such as the pig. In rea-lity, however, it is not just a question of consumer taste.

Some livestock handlers and processing industry entre-preneurs still have trouble in coming to terms withday-to-day animal welfare, and the truth is that wesouthern Europeans must awake from our blissful sies-ta. Whilst you in northern Europe have taken the leadin animal welfare and thus consolidated your position,we complacent southerners have been rather slack inour approach. And as for the new member states of theEU, they now have their own race to run if they are toreach this same goal.

In this edition, animal welfare expert Donald Broomexplains what animal welfare means, and the changes instore for European livestock handling. Although fewnon-European countries still fail to give this issue theattention it deserves, the present evolution of import-export market sindicates that animal welfare practicesmust be given consideration deyond the boundaries ofEurope in the coming years.

As well as animal welfare, the current edition also takesan in-depth look at the quantitatively most importantpig market in the world. The country in question is China,where a growth rate in production and consumption of4% had been forecast for 2006. This economic giant con-tinues to grow, and with better prospects that in the pastthanks to the level of investment in the slaughterhouseand processing industries. As a result of this development,the EU must strive not to lose its market share to Chinain the export market to Russian and Japan.

3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Gener RomeuRotecna’s President

4 6 10 12

14 16 19

ROTECNA WORLD

EDITION:ROTECNA, s.a.

DESIGN:Montse Guerrero

PRINT:Imprenta Barnola

EDITORIAL STAFF:Montse Palau

8 JANUARY 2007 ISSN: XXXX

Rotecna World’s editors accept no liability for contributors’ opinion

SUMMARY

Animal welfare: two words which have been frequentlypronounced in recent years by many official national andEuropean bodies, as well as by livestock handlers. But whatmakes this issue so important? On the face of it, it is con-sumers of meat who demand a high standard of animalwelfare in the breeding of animals such as the pig. In rea-lity, however, it is not just a question of consumer taste.

Some livestock handlers and processing industry entre-preneurs still have trouble in coming to terms withday-to-day animal welfare, and the truth is that wesouthern Europeans must awake from our blissful sies-ta. Whilst you in northern Europe have taken the leadin animal welfare and thus consolidated your position,we complacent southerners have been rather slack inour approach. And as for the new member states of theEU, they now have their own race to run if they are toreach this same goal.

In this edition, animal welfare expert Donald Broomexplains what animal welfare means, and the changes instore for European livestock handling. Although fewnon-European countries still fail to give this issue theattention it deserves, the present evolution of import-export market sindicates that animal welfare practicesmust be given consideration deyond the boundaries ofEurope in the coming years.

As well as animal welfare, the current edition also takesan in-depth look at the quantitatively most importantpig market in the world. The country in question is China,where a growth rate in production and consumption of4% had been forecast for 2006. This economic giant con-tinues to grow, and with better prospects that in the pastthanks to the level of investment in the slaughterhouseand processing industries. As a result of this development,the EU must strive not to lose its market share to Chinain the export market to Russian and Japan.

3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Gener RomeuRotecna’s President

4 6 10 12

14 16 19

ROTECNA WORLD

EDITION:ROTECNA, s.a.

DESIGN:Montse Guerrero

PRINT:Imprenta Barnola

EDITORIAL STAFF:Montse Palau

8 JANUARY 2007 ISSN: XXXX

Rotecna World’s editors accept no liability for contributors’ opinion

SUMMARY

4 5

ROTECNANEWS

2006 might justifiably be called the Year of Pig Fairs, asseveral of the most important international pig-sectorfairs have been held. This being an even-numbered year,annual and biannual fairs have coincided: Agromek(Denmark), World Pork Expo (the United States), Space(France) have shared the stage with VIV Europe(Holland), Expoaviga (Spain), VIV China (China), Eurotier(Germany), FIMA Ganadera (Spain), and others.

Rotecna have been a constant feature of the sector’smost important gatherings, where we have presentedour latest products and enjoyed the chance to meet thethousands of clients we have all over the world.Whether it is a local event in Catalonia or a national or

trade fairs,our best

shop window

international fair, the latest Rotecna products never failto attract the attention of visitors and participantsalike.

One of our company’s mostly fondly-remembered fairsis VIV Europe (Utrecht, Holland) in 1998, where wemade a spectacular presentation of one of our mostpopular products on the market; the maternity dispen-ser, Clutch Dispenser. Indeed, the product won a specialaward at this edition of the Dutch fair. We have recei-ved other awards, including one for the five-mouthweaning hopper, TR-5, at FIMA Ganadera 2000.

Among our latest products are the Splaylegstop, thedrinker for farrowing pens, sows and piglets, presentedat the Expoaviga and VIV Europe fairs. However, nearlyall of our slats, hoppers, dispensers, chain and disk feedtransport,..., also were showed there.

Apart from giving us the opportunity to exhibit ourproducts, fairs enable us to meet our national andinternational distributors and, in particular, many ofthe customers who consistently choose our products fortheir operations. Among them are Danish, French,Japanese, Thai, South African, Chilean, German and

Argentinian customers, as there is a Rotecnadistributor in over 70 countries, meaningthat there is at least one livestock farmer ineach of these places who put their faith inour capacity for innovation and quality.

Participating in or simply attending suchfairs is a good way for our company to breakinto foreign markets. In recent years, ourexport department has attended fairs inseveral countries to promote our productrange and thus ensure our presence in allmarkets where pig production is prominent.

One such challenges facing us is the case ofeast European countries such as Poland,whose appeal has grown enormously thanksto political change and EU membership. Wealso devote our energies to smaller marketssuch as the Ukraine, where we paid a visit tothe Agrihort fair in February of this year.

We look forward to seeing you at the forth-coming VIV Asia, or Space World Pork Expo.

rotecna exhibits worldwide:

The whole Rotecna’s Department in Expoaviga 2006 (Barcelona)

4 5

ROTECNANEWS

2006 might justifiably be called the Year of Pig Fairs, asseveral of the most important international pig-sectorfairs have been held. This being an even-numbered year,annual and biannual fairs have coincided: Agromek(Denmark), World Pork Expo (the United States), Space(France) have shared the stage with VIV Europe(Holland), Expoaviga (Spain), VIV China (China), Eurotier(Germany), FIMA Ganadera (Spain), and others.

Rotecna have been a constant feature of the sector’smost important gatherings, where we have presentedour latest products and enjoyed the chance to meet thethousands of clients we have all over the world.Whether it is a local event in Catalonia or a national or

trade fairs,our best

shop window

international fair, the latest Rotecna products never failto attract the attention of visitors and participantsalike.

One of our company’s mostly fondly-remembered fairsis VIV Europe (Utrecht, Holland) in 1998, where wemade a spectacular presentation of one of our mostpopular products on the market; the maternity dispen-ser, Clutch Dispenser. Indeed, the product won a specialaward at this edition of the Dutch fair. We have recei-ved other awards, including one for the five-mouthweaning hopper, TR-5, at FIMA Ganadera 2000.

Among our latest products are the Splaylegstop, thedrinker for farrowing pens, sows and piglets, presentedat the Expoaviga and VIV Europe fairs. However, nearlyall of our slats, hoppers, dispensers, chain and disk feedtransport,..., also were showed there.

Apart from giving us the opportunity to exhibit ourproducts, fairs enable us to meet our national andinternational distributors and, in particular, many ofthe customers who consistently choose our products fortheir operations. Among them are Danish, French,Japanese, Thai, South African, Chilean, German and

Argentinian customers, as there is a Rotecnadistributor in over 70 countries, meaningthat there is at least one livestock farmer ineach of these places who put their faith inour capacity for innovation and quality.

Participating in or simply attending suchfairs is a good way for our company to breakinto foreign markets. In recent years, ourexport department has attended fairs inseveral countries to promote our productrange and thus ensure our presence in allmarkets where pig production is prominent.

One such challenges facing us is the case ofeast European countries such as Poland,whose appeal has grown enormously thanksto political change and EU membership. Wealso devote our energies to smaller marketssuch as the Ukraine, where we paid a visit tothe Agrihort fair in February of this year.

We look forward to seeing you at the forth-coming VIV Asia, or Space World Pork Expo.

rotecna exhibits worldwide:

The whole Rotecna’s Department in Expoaviga 2006 (Barcelona)

nificantly affected by the frequency and quality of thechecks. There are regional and national differences inthe extent to which legislation is viewed seriously bythose involved in the animal production business. Thegeneral direction of movement within the EuropeanUnion in this respect is towards better enforcement inall member states because it is manifestly unfair forthere to be significant differences in the extent of com-pliance with the laws.

Government-produced codes of practice

Guides to how particular farm animals should be hou-sed, and managed and guides to procedures duringtransport, in slaughter houses or in relation to particu-lar farm emergencies such as fire or to diseases are pro-duced by some governments. In some countries suchcodes of practice have a legal status in that they can bereferred to in situations where there is a question as towhether a generally-worded law is being broken.However, aspects of codes of practice are sometimeswidely ignored by the animal production industry. If there is no enforcement of the statements in the code

Factors which affect the welfare of farm animals Legislation has effects on how people house and mana-ge animals but several other factors also affect this.Codes of practice produced by governments, the animalproduction industry, or companies which purchase theproducts from farmers and sell them to the public havean effect. Each of these kinds of influence on the treat-ment of animals, and hence on their welfare, will beconsidered together with the consequences of efforts tomake animal production more economically efficientand the impact of international trade agreements.

The actual effect of legislation on the welfare of animalsdepends upon the responses of those owning and mana-ging the animals. This response, in turn, depends uponthe nature of any enforcement. Some systems for farmanimal production will not continue if they are madeillegal because they depend upon large manufacturerswho are easily forced to change to a legal system.

Other aspects of legislation can be enforced only bychecks on farm, transport vehicles, markets, slaughter-houses etc. and the extent of law-breaking will be sig-

6 7

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Does presentLegislationHelp AnimalWelfare?

Donald M. BroomDepartment of Clinical Veterinary Medicine,University of Cambridge

* Abstract of the original article: Broom, D.M. 2002. Doespresent legislation help animal welfare?Landbauforschung Völkenrode, 227, 63-69.

of practice, or if there is ambiguity about the legal sta-tus of the code, its value is greatly diminished. The effecton the welfare of animals may then be very little.

Production-industry-derived codes of practice

There can be important improvements in the welfare offarm animals if good codes of practice are devised bythe industry and implemented by the majority of far-mers, transporters, slaughterhouses, etc. The publicimage of the industry can be substantially improvedand the sales of products maintained or increased if itis perceived by the public that standards are good andare observed. However, in most countries, at presentthe public has insufficient trust in the animal produc-tion industry to take the word of producers that stan-dards are observed. Some independent checking isneeded.

Retailer-produced codes of practice

Farmers often sell animals or their production of milk,eggs etc. to single purchasers who represent large retailchains or wholesale distribution companies. The increa-se in direct selling to supermarket chains has led to con-siderable power being placed in the hands of thesesupermarket companies. It is possible for these purcha-sers to lay down conditions for animal production andto enforce these by inspection. The standards set by thesupermarket chains are determined by what people willbuy and by their reputation with the public.

The public image of large companies which retail food,including supermarket chains and fast-food companies, isof great importance to them. Bad publicity because of arisk to public health, a risk to the environment or theoccurrence of poor welfare at any stage of the productionprocess can be very damaging. Hence it is in the interestof such food companies to avoid any scandal which mightthreaten their good image. When these companies recei-ve many letters from consumers complaining about a pro-duct which they sell, they have to take notice of thepoints which are being made. As a consequence of con-sumer pressure, food retail companies are adopting stan-dards which they impose on their suppliers.

The enforcement of standards by food retailers has ledto substantial changes in the welfare of animals onfarms because every producer has to conform to thestandards in order to sell their products. The rapid deve-lopment of such schemes in several countries has, ingeneral, been based on scientific evidence about animalwelfare.

Effects of builders and designers of animal facilitiesand equipment

It is the people who design and build farm animal faci-lities and the people who own, manage and work onfarms, transport operations and slaughterhouses whohave the principal effects on animal welfare. The actionsof these people may depend to some extent on expertadvice, for example that of veterinary surgeons.

When public demonstrations about animal welfare issues occur, farmers cannot ignore these.

nificantly affected by the frequency and quality of thechecks. There are regional and national differences inthe extent to which legislation is viewed seriously bythose involved in the animal production business. Thegeneral direction of movement within the EuropeanUnion in this respect is towards better enforcement inall member states because it is manifestly unfair forthere to be significant differences in the extent of com-pliance with the laws.

Government-produced codes of practice

Guides to how particular farm animals should be hou-sed, and managed and guides to procedures duringtransport, in slaughter houses or in relation to particu-lar farm emergencies such as fire or to diseases are pro-duced by some governments. In some countries suchcodes of practice have a legal status in that they can bereferred to in situations where there is a question as towhether a generally-worded law is being broken.However, aspects of codes of practice are sometimeswidely ignored by the animal production industry. If there is no enforcement of the statements in the code

Factors which affect the welfare of farm animals Legislation has effects on how people house and mana-ge animals but several other factors also affect this.Codes of practice produced by governments, the animalproduction industry, or companies which purchase theproducts from farmers and sell them to the public havean effect. Each of these kinds of influence on the treat-ment of animals, and hence on their welfare, will beconsidered together with the consequences of efforts tomake animal production more economically efficientand the impact of international trade agreements.

The actual effect of legislation on the welfare of animalsdepends upon the responses of those owning and mana-ging the animals. This response, in turn, depends uponthe nature of any enforcement. Some systems for farmanimal production will not continue if they are madeillegal because they depend upon large manufacturerswho are easily forced to change to a legal system.

Other aspects of legislation can be enforced only bychecks on farm, transport vehicles, markets, slaughter-houses etc. and the extent of law-breaking will be sig-

6 7

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Does presentLegislationHelp AnimalWelfare?

Donald M. BroomDepartment of Clinical Veterinary Medicine,University of Cambridge

* Abstract of the original article: Broom, D.M. 2002. Doespresent legislation help animal welfare?Landbauforschung Völkenrode, 227, 63-69.

of practice, or if there is ambiguity about the legal sta-tus of the code, its value is greatly diminished. The effecton the welfare of animals may then be very little.

Production-industry-derived codes of practice

There can be important improvements in the welfare offarm animals if good codes of practice are devised bythe industry and implemented by the majority of far-mers, transporters, slaughterhouses, etc. The publicimage of the industry can be substantially improvedand the sales of products maintained or increased if itis perceived by the public that standards are good andare observed. However, in most countries, at presentthe public has insufficient trust in the animal produc-tion industry to take the word of producers that stan-dards are observed. Some independent checking isneeded.

Retailer-produced codes of practice

Farmers often sell animals or their production of milk,eggs etc. to single purchasers who represent large retailchains or wholesale distribution companies. The increa-se in direct selling to supermarket chains has led to con-siderable power being placed in the hands of thesesupermarket companies. It is possible for these purcha-sers to lay down conditions for animal production andto enforce these by inspection. The standards set by thesupermarket chains are determined by what people willbuy and by their reputation with the public.

The public image of large companies which retail food,including supermarket chains and fast-food companies, isof great importance to them. Bad publicity because of arisk to public health, a risk to the environment or theoccurrence of poor welfare at any stage of the productionprocess can be very damaging. Hence it is in the interestof such food companies to avoid any scandal which mightthreaten their good image. When these companies recei-ve many letters from consumers complaining about a pro-duct which they sell, they have to take notice of thepoints which are being made. As a consequence of con-sumer pressure, food retail companies are adopting stan-dards which they impose on their suppliers.

The enforcement of standards by food retailers has ledto substantial changes in the welfare of animals onfarms because every producer has to conform to thestandards in order to sell their products. The rapid deve-lopment of such schemes in several countries has, ingeneral, been based on scientific evidence about animalwelfare.

Effects of builders and designers of animal facilitiesand equipment

It is the people who design and build farm animal faci-lities and the people who own, manage and work onfarms, transport operations and slaughterhouses whohave the principal effects on animal welfare. The actionsof these people may depend to some extent on expertadvice, for example that of veterinary surgeons.

When public demonstrations about animal welfare issues occur, farmers cannot ignore these.

8 9

The architects, builders and equipment companies who provideaccommodation and other facilities for those in the food animalproduction industry, depend upon their customers in the sense thattheir products would not be bought if they were not economicallyviable but they also have freedom to be innovative and they areperceived by the public and the farmers to have moral obligationsto animals similar to those of the farmers themselves. Some ofthese moral pressures are not as immediate, however, so these com-panies are not always ready to acknowledge their responsibilities. Attitudes of farmers, transporters, slaughterhouse staff etc.

Public concern about animal welfare has increased in many coun-tries during the last thirty years and especially in the last ten years. Evidence for increased concern about animal welfare.

People who run or work on farms are influenced by a variety of fac-tors when they are deciding on their housing and managementpolicies and when they are executing these policies. They are invol-ved in a commercial enterprise and will be endeavouring to make aprofit so the monetary costs which they incur and the potentialfinancial returns which they are likely to get for their product willbe factors of major importance to them. Some other costs to the

industry exist, for example, consumers whodo not like some aspect of production mayrefuse to buy the product (Broom 1994).These costs are often ignored by individualfarmers.

Attitudes of animal users depend uponearly training, traditional practices, acquisi-tion of knowledge from others subsequentto any training, personal experience andgeneral beliefs and philosophy. Training didnot, until recently, include much informa-tion about animal welfare except where itimpinged on profitability. Recent trainingcourses are more likely to have includedinformation about the welfare of the ani-mals and most agricultural trade journalsnowadays do cover animal welfare issues.Traditional practices are often deemed byfarmers to be right for the sole reason that“this is the way that we have always doneit”. Some of these methods are the bestones for good welfare but in a time ofchanging attitudes to animals, such argu-ments are untenable.

Farmers and other animal users have to livewith their families, friends and neighbours.If these people are critical of the effects onthe welfare of animals of the methodsused, the farmer may change thesemethods. In some cases, the animals arevery obvious to all who pass by the farm.Farmers do not like to be thought incom-petent or uncaring, so they may respond tosuch comments by giving the animals vete-rinary treatment or changing the manage-ment system so as to avoid lameness. If theanimals are inside a building or otherwisehidden from public view, the number ofpeople who might comment on poor welfa-re will be smaller and there is a greaterchance that the farmer can persuade him-self or herself that there are no significantwelfare problems.

The views of the general public are largelymade known to farmers and others invol-ved in animal production via the media.There is frequent coverage of animal welfa-re issues in newspapers, on radio and on thetelevision and this, by bringing scientificknowledge about animal complexity to theattention of most people, affects the atti-tudes of people and then comes to repre-sent it. Farmers see themselves portrayed asuncaring in some respects. They are unfairly

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

portrayed on some occasions but other portrayals arecorrect and the farmer cannot hide from them by retre-ating physically into buildings and socially into a far-ming only society.

When public demonstrations about animal welfareissues occur, farmers cannot ignore these. The demons-trations by great numbers of largely orderly and appa-rently normal people against the shipping of calves toconditions which were illegal within the UnitedKingdom, had a big influence on farmers and politicians

alike. It is not the most vociferous people, who aresometimes rather extreme in their views, who have thegreatest influence on animal users or politicians but themoderate people who represent a groundswell of publicopinion. In many recent surveys in Europe, animal wel-fare has been shown to be an important issue for thegeneral public.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCESConsult the publishers.

Public concern about animal welfare has increased in many countries.

8 9

The architects, builders and equipment companies who provideaccommodation and other facilities for those in the food animalproduction industry, depend upon their customers in the sense thattheir products would not be bought if they were not economicallyviable but they also have freedom to be innovative and they areperceived by the public and the farmers to have moral obligationsto animals similar to those of the farmers themselves. Some ofthese moral pressures are not as immediate, however, so these com-panies are not always ready to acknowledge their responsibilities. Attitudes of farmers, transporters, slaughterhouse staff etc.

Public concern about animal welfare has increased in many coun-tries during the last thirty years and especially in the last ten years. Evidence for increased concern about animal welfare.

People who run or work on farms are influenced by a variety of fac-tors when they are deciding on their housing and managementpolicies and when they are executing these policies. They are invol-ved in a commercial enterprise and will be endeavouring to make aprofit so the monetary costs which they incur and the potentialfinancial returns which they are likely to get for their product willbe factors of major importance to them. Some other costs to the

industry exist, for example, consumers whodo not like some aspect of production mayrefuse to buy the product (Broom 1994).These costs are often ignored by individualfarmers.

Attitudes of animal users depend uponearly training, traditional practices, acquisi-tion of knowledge from others subsequentto any training, personal experience andgeneral beliefs and philosophy. Training didnot, until recently, include much informa-tion about animal welfare except where itimpinged on profitability. Recent trainingcourses are more likely to have includedinformation about the welfare of the ani-mals and most agricultural trade journalsnowadays do cover animal welfare issues.Traditional practices are often deemed byfarmers to be right for the sole reason that“this is the way that we have always doneit”. Some of these methods are the bestones for good welfare but in a time ofchanging attitudes to animals, such argu-ments are untenable.

Farmers and other animal users have to livewith their families, friends and neighbours.If these people are critical of the effects onthe welfare of animals of the methodsused, the farmer may change thesemethods. In some cases, the animals arevery obvious to all who pass by the farm.Farmers do not like to be thought incom-petent or uncaring, so they may respond tosuch comments by giving the animals vete-rinary treatment or changing the manage-ment system so as to avoid lameness. If theanimals are inside a building or otherwisehidden from public view, the number ofpeople who might comment on poor welfa-re will be smaller and there is a greaterchance that the farmer can persuade him-self or herself that there are no significantwelfare problems.

The views of the general public are largelymade known to farmers and others invol-ved in animal production via the media.There is frequent coverage of animal welfa-re issues in newspapers, on radio and on thetelevision and this, by bringing scientificknowledge about animal complexity to theattention of most people, affects the atti-tudes of people and then comes to repre-sent it. Farmers see themselves portrayed asuncaring in some respects. They are unfairly

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

portrayed on some occasions but other portrayals arecorrect and the farmer cannot hide from them by retre-ating physically into buildings and socially into a far-ming only society.

When public demonstrations about animal welfareissues occur, farmers cannot ignore these. The demons-trations by great numbers of largely orderly and appa-rently normal people against the shipping of calves toconditions which were illegal within the UnitedKingdom, had a big influence on farmers and politicians

alike. It is not the most vociferous people, who aresometimes rather extreme in their views, who have thegreatest influence on animal users or politicians but themoderate people who represent a groundswell of publicopinion. In many recent surveys in Europe, animal wel-fare has been shown to be an important issue for thegeneral public.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCESConsult the publishers.

Public concern about animal welfare has increased in many countries.

10 11

TECHNOLOGY

Comfort forpiglets

several parts. The ROTECNA heating plate issolded from a single unit, which is free of cor-ners where dirt can hide.

Functioning

The ROTECNA hydraulic heated plate operatesbasically on a system of plates in constantrecirculation. A thermostat controls the entryof water into the plate circuit from a secon-dary circuit, at a higher temperature. Thiswater enters only after the detection of atemperature lower than that selected by thethermostat.

With regard to safety, the equipment has amechanism which disconnects the pump if thetemperature exceeds the default safety limitof 60º C, thus preventing reheated water rea-ching the plates.

The interchanger

It is recommended that the hydraulic plateshould be installed with the interchanger unit,an element which separates the plate circuitfrom that of the boiler, in order to preventrapid rusting of the boiler. The interchangerthus protects the plate circuit from any leaka-ge or mechanical fault in the plate circuit.

The heat interchanger heats up the water inthe plates without mixing it with the water inthe boiler or another main installation, andensures the immediate availability of hotwater for the plates, while keeping it recircu-lating.

The comfort of newborn piglets depends to a largeextent on the warmth they receive from a good heatingsystem, such as plates.

In any porcine production system, it is important toensure that the animals are comfortable. In the case ofnewborn piglets, this takes on even greater importance.Heating plates are a good way of keeping piglet lossesto a minimum and ensuring the faster growth ofpiglets.

A few months ago, ROTECNA presented two versions ofits heating plates: one of them operates with waterwhile the other is powered by electricity. The first modelis based on an internal circuit which provides the righttemperature for the piglets, while the second provideswarmth by means of an electronic resistor system.

Recommendations before installation

The plates should be installed and distributed only aftercareful consideration, as these zones will serve as restareas for the piglets and should therefore be as com-

fortable as possible. It is also important to follow theinstructions in the assembly manual to ensure that theequipment works properly.

When the whole circuit is assembled in a room, the pla-tes should be placed near each other to make it easy toconnect the circuit.

The first consideration is that the location of the platemust be easily accessible to both the operator and thepiglets. We should also make sure that we have chosena spot which is free of draught. In addition, the plateshould be far enough away from the mother to avoidpiglets being crushed by her when they group together.

Secondly, the zone must be clean, so the plate shouldnot be installed near the back of the mother’s pen toprevent contact with her excrement. It should be notedthat any accumulation of material on the plate such asexcrement or foodscraps will reduce its efficiency.

The hydraulic plate: features

The ROTECNA water-powered heating plate has a capa-city of approximately 3.3 l. It is based on an internalwater circuit which provides the right temperature forpiglets. One of its key characteristics is the fact that thewater circuit and the plate form a single piece, unlikeother plates on the market, which are manufactured in

Heated plates:The Hydraulicplate

ADVANTAGES:

o Non-slip grooves.o Adjustable temperature.o Greater comfort for piglets.o Greater welfare for the sow.o No difficult corners for cleaning.o Total thermal transmission.

The interchanger unit should be installed at the highest point ofthe installation, so that air from the equipment is releasedthrough the air vent.

Regulating the temperature

Regulating the temperature of the plates is a question of selec-ting the water temperature in the plate circuit. The temperatureselected will be between 40 and 50º C (38-40º C in the plate),depending on the room. If we programme a temperature whichexceeds the optimum level, the piglets will gather at or near theedges of the plates. Likewise, if the temperature is set too low,the piglets will crowd together too much on the thermal plates.

The design of the plates and the operating equipment allows sui-table control for the needs of each room, as each of them can beequipped with an individual collector unit. (the Heatcontrol).

Maintenance

Once the plates are in operation, you will get the best out of theequipment by following the recommendations below:

Check periodically the pressure in the circuit.Drain the system when not in use for a long period.Fit a drainage valve in each of the circuits for draining.

Owing to their low thermal irradiation – as they are made ofpolypropylene- these plates offer big advantages.

10 11

TECHNOLOGY

Comfort forpiglets

several parts. The ROTECNA heating plate issolded from a single unit, which is free of cor-ners where dirt can hide.

Functioning

The ROTECNA hydraulic heated plate operatesbasically on a system of plates in constantrecirculation. A thermostat controls the entryof water into the plate circuit from a secon-dary circuit, at a higher temperature. Thiswater enters only after the detection of atemperature lower than that selected by thethermostat.

With regard to safety, the equipment has amechanism which disconnects the pump if thetemperature exceeds the default safety limitof 60º C, thus preventing reheated water rea-ching the plates.

The interchanger

It is recommended that the hydraulic plateshould be installed with the interchanger unit,an element which separates the plate circuitfrom that of the boiler, in order to preventrapid rusting of the boiler. The interchangerthus protects the plate circuit from any leaka-ge or mechanical fault in the plate circuit.

The heat interchanger heats up the water inthe plates without mixing it with the water inthe boiler or another main installation, andensures the immediate availability of hotwater for the plates, while keeping it recircu-lating.

The comfort of newborn piglets depends to a largeextent on the warmth they receive from a good heatingsystem, such as plates.

In any porcine production system, it is important toensure that the animals are comfortable. In the case ofnewborn piglets, this takes on even greater importance.Heating plates are a good way of keeping piglet lossesto a minimum and ensuring the faster growth ofpiglets.

A few months ago, ROTECNA presented two versions ofits heating plates: one of them operates with waterwhile the other is powered by electricity. The first modelis based on an internal circuit which provides the righttemperature for the piglets, while the second provideswarmth by means of an electronic resistor system.

Recommendations before installation

The plates should be installed and distributed only aftercareful consideration, as these zones will serve as restareas for the piglets and should therefore be as com-

fortable as possible. It is also important to follow theinstructions in the assembly manual to ensure that theequipment works properly.

When the whole circuit is assembled in a room, the pla-tes should be placed near each other to make it easy toconnect the circuit.

The first consideration is that the location of the platemust be easily accessible to both the operator and thepiglets. We should also make sure that we have chosena spot which is free of draught. In addition, the plateshould be far enough away from the mother to avoidpiglets being crushed by her when they group together.

Secondly, the zone must be clean, so the plate shouldnot be installed near the back of the mother’s pen toprevent contact with her excrement. It should be notedthat any accumulation of material on the plate such asexcrement or foodscraps will reduce its efficiency.

The hydraulic plate: features

The ROTECNA water-powered heating plate has a capa-city of approximately 3.3 l. It is based on an internalwater circuit which provides the right temperature forpiglets. One of its key characteristics is the fact that thewater circuit and the plate form a single piece, unlikeother plates on the market, which are manufactured in

Heated plates:The Hydraulicplate

ADVANTAGES:

o Non-slip grooves.o Adjustable temperature.o Greater comfort for piglets.o Greater welfare for the sow.o No difficult corners for cleaning.o Total thermal transmission.

The interchanger unit should be installed at the highest point ofthe installation, so that air from the equipment is releasedthrough the air vent.

Regulating the temperature

Regulating the temperature of the plates is a question of selec-ting the water temperature in the plate circuit. The temperatureselected will be between 40 and 50º C (38-40º C in the plate),depending on the room. If we programme a temperature whichexceeds the optimum level, the piglets will gather at or near theedges of the plates. Likewise, if the temperature is set too low,the piglets will crowd together too much on the thermal plates.

The design of the plates and the operating equipment allows sui-table control for the needs of each room, as each of them can beequipped with an individual collector unit. (the Heatcontrol).

Maintenance

Once the plates are in operation, you will get the best out of theequipment by following the recommendations below:

Check periodically the pressure in the circuit.Drain the system when not in use for a long period.Fit a drainage valve in each of the circuits for draining.

Owing to their low thermal irradiation – as they are made ofpolypropylene- these plates offer big advantages.

12 13

TECHNOLOGY

The second option for heating mothering pens is theelectric heating plate, notable for its low consumption.

The main purpose of the Rotecna electric heated plate,like the hydraulic version, is to create rest areas forpiglets which are free of ground-level draughts and havea comfortable temperature to foster faster growth in theanimals.

One of the biggest advantages of the Rotecna electricheating plate is that it offers a range of possibilities foradapting the equipment to any situation.

To get the best out of the plates, here are some recom-mendations on installation and use.

Recommendations before installation

The plates should be installed and distributed only aftercareful consideration, as these zones will serve as restareas for the piglets and should therefore be as comfor-table as possible.

First of all, the zone must be clean and it should be notedthat any accumulation of material on the plate such asexcrement or foodscraps will reduce its efficiency.

A further consideration is the location of the plate,which must be easily accessible to both the operator andthe piglets. It should also be placed far enough awayfrom the mother to avoid piglets being crushed by herwhen they group together. In addition, we should makesure that we have chosen a spot which is not exposed todraught.

When the whole plate circuit is assembled in a room, theplates should be placed near each other to make it easyto connect the circuit.

The electric plate: features

The electric plate unit consists of:1 - A red top lid.2 - An electronic resistor attached to the inner side ofthe top lid.3 - The body of the plate: with a top side (airtight cham-ber) and a bottom side (air chamber between bottom lidand body).

The bottom lid.

The main function of the bottom lid is to create an inter-mediate air chamber between the body (hot) of the plate

ADVANTAGES:

o Plates may be disconnected individually. o Even distribution of temperature.o Energy savings: 20-50% less consumption. o Plate is comfortable for piglets.o No tricky corners for easy cleaning.o Highly resistant, even to sow treading on it.o Non-slip grooves.

Comfortfor piglets

Heated plates:ElectricHeating

plateand the air in the room. This chamber prevents the aircirculating in the room from coming into direct contactwith the plate, thereby reducing heat loss and wastedenergy in zones which do not need to be kept warm.

Functioning

The unit is installed in the same way as standard plates,though attention should be paid to the electricity con-nections of all the plates. The regulator is responsible forcontrolling the electricity power supply to the plates: thegreater the power, the higher the temperature.

The regulator shows the ideal percentage of temperatu-re on the plate’s surface, which should be noted whenthe temperature is adjusted, and depends on room tem-perature.

When the plates are switched on, they must be correctlyregulated. During the first hours of operation, their tem-perature levels should be monitored to ensure that theyare set to provide the required room temperature.

Regulating the temperature

The temperature of the Rotecna heating plates may beregulated by means of two regulators: the HF20S and theHF20C. The former regulates the whole set of plates in aroom, while the latter performs this function and alsopermits the plates to be disconnected indivdually if, forexample, there are unoccupied places in the motheringpens. This leads to big savings on energy.

Once the electric plates are installed, we should set themat a comfortable temperature for the piglets. To do this,the right temperature is selected using the Electronic

Regulator, which has a gauge marking percentages. Atthe start of the heating process, it should be set at 100%,and later turned down to a lower percentage, dependingon the temperature required.

The ideal temperature selected for the plate surface isaround 36-38 ºC. When this temperature is reached, theregulator percentage should be lowered. By regulatingtemperature in each box on the regulator, it is possible toprovide suitable temperatures for the needs of eachroom or zone heated by each of the units. The way theanimals crowd too closely together or spread out toomuch is a good indicator of the suitability of temperatu-res chosen. Either reaction would signal that the tempe-rature needs to be altered. We should also look to see ifpiglets are grouping on top of the plates, without doingso in excess.

12 13

TECHNOLOGY

The second option for heating mothering pens is theelectric heating plate, notable for its low consumption.

The main purpose of the Rotecna electric heated plate,like the hydraulic version, is to create rest areas forpiglets which are free of ground-level draughts and havea comfortable temperature to foster faster growth in theanimals.

One of the biggest advantages of the Rotecna electricheating plate is that it offers a range of possibilities foradapting the equipment to any situation.

To get the best out of the plates, here are some recom-mendations on installation and use.

Recommendations before installation

The plates should be installed and distributed only aftercareful consideration, as these zones will serve as restareas for the piglets and should therefore be as comfor-table as possible.

First of all, the zone must be clean and it should be notedthat any accumulation of material on the plate such asexcrement or foodscraps will reduce its efficiency.

A further consideration is the location of the plate,which must be easily accessible to both the operator andthe piglets. It should also be placed far enough awayfrom the mother to avoid piglets being crushed by herwhen they group together. In addition, we should makesure that we have chosen a spot which is not exposed todraught.

When the whole plate circuit is assembled in a room, theplates should be placed near each other to make it easyto connect the circuit.

The electric plate: features

The electric plate unit consists of:1 - A red top lid.2 - An electronic resistor attached to the inner side ofthe top lid.3 - The body of the plate: with a top side (airtight cham-ber) and a bottom side (air chamber between bottom lidand body).

The bottom lid.

The main function of the bottom lid is to create an inter-mediate air chamber between the body (hot) of the plate

ADVANTAGES:

o Plates may be disconnected individually. o Even distribution of temperature.o Energy savings: 20-50% less consumption. o Plate is comfortable for piglets.o No tricky corners for easy cleaning.o Highly resistant, even to sow treading on it.o Non-slip grooves.

Comfortfor piglets

Heated plates:ElectricHeating

plateand the air in the room. This chamber prevents the aircirculating in the room from coming into direct contactwith the plate, thereby reducing heat loss and wastedenergy in zones which do not need to be kept warm.

Functioning

The unit is installed in the same way as standard plates,though attention should be paid to the electricity con-nections of all the plates. The regulator is responsible forcontrolling the electricity power supply to the plates: thegreater the power, the higher the temperature.

The regulator shows the ideal percentage of temperatu-re on the plate’s surface, which should be noted whenthe temperature is adjusted, and depends on room tem-perature.

When the plates are switched on, they must be correctlyregulated. During the first hours of operation, their tem-perature levels should be monitored to ensure that theyare set to provide the required room temperature.

Regulating the temperature

The temperature of the Rotecna heating plates may beregulated by means of two regulators: the HF20S and theHF20C. The former regulates the whole set of plates in aroom, while the latter performs this function and alsopermits the plates to be disconnected indivdually if, forexample, there are unoccupied places in the motheringpens. This leads to big savings on energy.

Once the electric plates are installed, we should set themat a comfortable temperature for the piglets. To do this,the right temperature is selected using the Electronic

Regulator, which has a gauge marking percentages. Atthe start of the heating process, it should be set at 100%,and later turned down to a lower percentage, dependingon the temperature required.

The ideal temperature selected for the plate surface isaround 36-38 ºC. When this temperature is reached, theregulator percentage should be lowered. By regulatingtemperature in each box on the regulator, it is possible toprovide suitable temperatures for the needs of eachroom or zone heated by each of the units. The way theanimals crowd too closely together or spread out toomuch is a good indicator of the suitability of temperatu-res chosen. Either reaction would signal that the tempe-rature needs to be altered. We should also look to see ifpiglets are grouping on top of the plates, without doingso in excess.

bleed the pig to death in the village square, it is slaugh-tered previously and brought along to be cut up, beforethe process of “mandongo” begins. This is the phasewhen the intestines and offal are extracted and used toprepare the various sausage meats. Animal welfare regu-lations now demand a more dignified death for the pigin the slaughterhouse.

This ritual slaughter was traditionally one of the grea-test family and social events in the calendar. Each familyorganised its own slaughter with the help of neighboursand relatives, who also joined in to enjoy the deliciousdishes to be had from it. Carrying out the slaughter wasa basic requirement to cover the household’s needs forthe whole year; not celebrating it was a sign of a badyear or extreme poverty.

Families used to buy a suckling pig to fatten it at home.They fed it on food scraps and grain, whenever thefamily budget would allow it. Wealthier families wouldslaughter more than one pig and in some places – par-ticularly in mountain areas where they were snowed induring the long winter months – the most well-offfamilies would also slaughter an ox.

Once the pig has been slaughtered and cut up, slaugh-ter day is devoted mainly to preparing ‘morcillas’ and

14 15

The traditional slaughtering (“matanza” inSpanish) of the pig is a custom which is stillvery much alive not only in Catalonia, but alsoin Mallorca and many other of Spain’sCommunities. An example of these festiveoccasions is that which takes place in Burgo deOsma (Soria). Even today, there are many fami-lies and groups of friends who come togetherbetween October and March to kill a pig. In thepast, it was customary to slaughter pigs tostock up the larder for a few months, and asevery part of the pig could be used, the list ofprovisions was a long one: hams, chorizo sau-sage, loins, pork belly, streaky bacon and so on.

Nowadays, these gatherings of family andfriends to slaughter pigs are incorporated inthe popular festivities of many villages aroundCatalonia. Now that it has been made illegal to

SOMETHING ABOUT …

The traditio-nalslaughterof the pig

A livingtradition

‘chorizos’, two varieties of blood sausage, which arehung up to dry. Every corner of Spain has its ownspeciality of blood sausage, and a spicy, reddishvariety called ‘sobrasada’ is typical in the BalearicIslands.

December seems to have been the most typical monthfor slaughtering. Indeed, popular wisdom speaks of pigsbeing slaughtered in the run-up to Christmas, withDecember 21st being the date most commonly chosen.Those who have documented this tradition claim therewas no special reason for this, but the insistence on cho-osing this month suggests that the festivity is likely tohave formed part of the great winter sowing festival. Some time ago in Catalonia, it was customary to con-serve certain bones from the slaughtered pig, specifi-cally from the area of the backbone, burn them and mixthe ashes with the grain to be sown. This ritual, whichwas believed to aid a good harvest, was also typical innorth European countries like Sweden. Indeed, pork dis-hes like ham and sausages accompany fish on theSwedish Christmas dinner table

Many Spanish villages currently celebrate the slaughterof the pig as a popular festival between February andMarch, and it holds great appeal for tourists in areaswhere pig rearing is prevalent.

bleed the pig to death in the village square, it is slaugh-tered previously and brought along to be cut up, beforethe process of “mandongo” begins. This is the phasewhen the intestines and offal are extracted and used toprepare the various sausage meats. Animal welfare regu-lations now demand a more dignified death for the pigin the slaughterhouse.

This ritual slaughter was traditionally one of the grea-test family and social events in the calendar. Each familyorganised its own slaughter with the help of neighboursand relatives, who also joined in to enjoy the deliciousdishes to be had from it. Carrying out the slaughter wasa basic requirement to cover the household’s needs forthe whole year; not celebrating it was a sign of a badyear or extreme poverty.

Families used to buy a suckling pig to fatten it at home.They fed it on food scraps and grain, whenever thefamily budget would allow it. Wealthier families wouldslaughter more than one pig and in some places – par-ticularly in mountain areas where they were snowed induring the long winter months – the most well-offfamilies would also slaughter an ox.

Once the pig has been slaughtered and cut up, slaugh-ter day is devoted mainly to preparing ‘morcillas’ and

14 15

The traditional slaughtering (“matanza” inSpanish) of the pig is a custom which is stillvery much alive not only in Catalonia, but alsoin Mallorca and many other of Spain’sCommunities. An example of these festiveoccasions is that which takes place in Burgo deOsma (Soria). Even today, there are many fami-lies and groups of friends who come togetherbetween October and March to kill a pig. In thepast, it was customary to slaughter pigs tostock up the larder for a few months, and asevery part of the pig could be used, the list ofprovisions was a long one: hams, chorizo sau-sage, loins, pork belly, streaky bacon and so on.

Nowadays, these gatherings of family andfriends to slaughter pigs are incorporated inthe popular festivities of many villages aroundCatalonia. Now that it has been made illegal to

SOMETHING ABOUT …

The traditio-nalslaughterof the pig

A livingtradition

‘chorizos’, two varieties of blood sausage, which arehung up to dry. Every corner of Spain has its ownspeciality of blood sausage, and a spicy, reddishvariety called ‘sobrasada’ is typical in the BalearicIslands.

December seems to have been the most typical monthfor slaughtering. Indeed, popular wisdom speaks of pigsbeing slaughtered in the run-up to Christmas, withDecember 21st being the date most commonly chosen.Those who have documented this tradition claim therewas no special reason for this, but the insistence on cho-osing this month suggests that the festivity is likely tohave formed part of the great winter sowing festival. Some time ago in Catalonia, it was customary to con-serve certain bones from the slaughtered pig, specifi-cally from the area of the backbone, burn them and mixthe ashes with the grain to be sown. This ritual, whichwas believed to aid a good harvest, was also typical innorth European countries like Sweden. Indeed, pork dis-hes like ham and sausages accompany fish on theSwedish Christmas dinner table

Many Spanish villages currently celebrate the slaughterof the pig as a popular festival between February andMarch, and it holds great appeal for tourists in areaswhere pig rearing is prevalent.

16 17

FUTURE

George FoxcroftCanada Research Chair inSwine Reproductive Physiology,Swine Reproduction-Development Program

Source: Londos Swine Conference 2005

Gettingto 30

pigs/sow/year

Bearing in mind the physiological limitations discussedin our earlier paper, gilt development programs can berefined to match the individual needs of the producer(i.e. “in house” or outside source), to identify thepotential fertility of the gilt and provide opportunitiesto improve fertility and retention through gilt “condi-tioning” and pre-breeding management. Three keyaspects of a good gilt management program shouldinclude:

1. Implementing a strict selection program that identi-fies 75-80% of the most fertile animals.

2. Achieving appropriate weights at first breeding tosustain maximum lifetime performance. A minimumbody weight after farrowing of 175 kg (135 kg at bre-eding) may be necessary to protect against excessiveloss of protein mass in first lactation.

3. Minimizing accumulated non-productive days (NPD)in the gilt pool. Low growth rate, unnecessary delays instimulating pubertal estrus and breeding gilts, and

inefficient allocation of gilts to breeding groups, arethe largest contributors of NPD’s in the herd.

Identifying “select” gilts at an early age is a critical partof a successful gilt development program. Gilts shouldundergo a strict selection process before being chosen tobe a part of the breeding herd. This selection process willinvolve three steps.

Pre-Select 1. Occurs at the time the gilts leave the nur-sery. At this time gilts must have good conformation, 12-14 teats and be free of hernias or ruptures. As more databecomes available, it may also be appropriate to excludegilts with inadequate growth rate at this stage. After giltsleave the nursery an opportunity exists to “condition”gilts to achieve adequate weights and body condition atpuberty to sustain lifetime performance. Available dataconsistently show that at commercially acceptablegrowth rates (0.55 – 0.80 kg/d) (birth to 100 days of age),growth rate does not limit age at puberty. Experience incommercial practice suggests that modified, high energy,“conditioning” diets can be used to increase body fat sto-res in very lean gilts. In studies in which we attempted toslow growth in gilts with high fibre diets from 50 kg untilpuberty induction, we had very little impact on body-weight at first estrus.

Pre-Select 2. Pre-Select 2 will occur at 140 days of age,at which time gilts will be weighed to determine weight,growth rate and backfat depth. At this stage, gilts mustachieve a lifetime growth rate of at least 0.6 kg/d. It is

important to remove gilts with low growth rates, becau-se a slow growing (< 0.6kg/d) and early maturing gilt(first estrus at 160 days) would weigh approximately 96kg at first estrus. If this gilt was bred in the appropriateweight range (135 – 150 kg body weight), she wouldneed to be bred at 4th or 5th estrus and would accumu-late nearly 84 days in the gilt stimulation/pre-breedingarea. Similarly, a slow growing (<0.6 kg/d) and late matu-ring (190 days) gilt would accumulate 30 days in stimu-lation and an additional 42 days to reach the minimumbreeding weight. Therefore, at Pre-Select 2, gilts notachieving a growth rate of 0.6 kg/d at 140 days of agewould not be permitted to enter the stimulation phase.Instead, they would be considered ”Non-Select” giltsand become a market animal. In a study conducted atthe University of Alberta, 13% of 228 gilts would havebeen culled because they did not meet the minimalgrowth criteria.

At “Pre-Select 2” gilts will be further examined to ensu-re that all gilts have good conformation, locomotion,12-14 teats and are still free of hernias, ruptures andother ailments. Again, conformation data obtained at“Pre-Select 2” can be used to set up gilts on “fattening”diets if needed.

The number of gilts required to enter the stimulationphase will depend on the breeding requirements of theherd. In a trial recently completed at Prairie SwineCentre, the results indicated that approximately 125%of breeding gilt requirements should enter the stimula-

tion phase (expecting 22% not to cycle and 3% to beculled) to obtain the required number of gilts cyclingwithin 40 days. However, if the target number of giltsneeded to enter the gilt pool cannot be met with giltsthat meet minimal growth targets at “Pre-Select 2”, anappropriate number of “Non-Select” gilts can enter thepuberty induction phase, as a last resort, accepting thatthese gilts will either tend to be bred below target bre-eding weight, or will accumulate excessive NPDs beforebreeding.

Final Selection – Puberty Induction

The age to begin puberty stimulation will depend on anumber of factors. Generally, a younger age at stimula-tion corresponds to a decreased age at puberty, butrequires more days in stimulation; and vice versa, oldergilts at stimulation are typically older at puberty, butrequire fewer days of stimulation. If a large proportionof gilts are required to reach a synchronous puberty,commencing boar exposure at an older age is desirable.This is also probably most efficient in terms of labourand space utilization. However, stimulating gilts at anearlier age has several benefits.

• Stimulating gilts at a young age enables the producerto identify gilts that are most sexually mature.• Stimulating gilts early would permit a producer tocull non-cycling gilts as market animals, reducing thenumber of gilt NPDs and the financial cost to the pro-ducer.

16 17

FUTURE

George FoxcroftCanada Research Chair inSwine Reproductive Physiology,Swine Reproduction-Development Program

Source: Londos Swine Conference 2005

Gettingto 30

pigs/sow/year

Bearing in mind the physiological limitations discussedin our earlier paper, gilt development programs can berefined to match the individual needs of the producer(i.e. “in house” or outside source), to identify thepotential fertility of the gilt and provide opportunitiesto improve fertility and retention through gilt “condi-tioning” and pre-breeding management. Three keyaspects of a good gilt management program shouldinclude:

1. Implementing a strict selection program that identi-fies 75-80% of the most fertile animals.

2. Achieving appropriate weights at first breeding tosustain maximum lifetime performance. A minimumbody weight after farrowing of 175 kg (135 kg at bre-eding) may be necessary to protect against excessiveloss of protein mass in first lactation.

3. Minimizing accumulated non-productive days (NPD)in the gilt pool. Low growth rate, unnecessary delays instimulating pubertal estrus and breeding gilts, and

inefficient allocation of gilts to breeding groups, arethe largest contributors of NPD’s in the herd.

Identifying “select” gilts at an early age is a critical partof a successful gilt development program. Gilts shouldundergo a strict selection process before being chosen tobe a part of the breeding herd. This selection process willinvolve three steps.

Pre-Select 1. Occurs at the time the gilts leave the nur-sery. At this time gilts must have good conformation, 12-14 teats and be free of hernias or ruptures. As more databecomes available, it may also be appropriate to excludegilts with inadequate growth rate at this stage. After giltsleave the nursery an opportunity exists to “condition”gilts to achieve adequate weights and body condition atpuberty to sustain lifetime performance. Available dataconsistently show that at commercially acceptablegrowth rates (0.55 – 0.80 kg/d) (birth to 100 days of age),growth rate does not limit age at puberty. Experience incommercial practice suggests that modified, high energy,“conditioning” diets can be used to increase body fat sto-res in very lean gilts. In studies in which we attempted toslow growth in gilts with high fibre diets from 50 kg untilpuberty induction, we had very little impact on body-weight at first estrus.

Pre-Select 2. Pre-Select 2 will occur at 140 days of age,at which time gilts will be weighed to determine weight,growth rate and backfat depth. At this stage, gilts mustachieve a lifetime growth rate of at least 0.6 kg/d. It is

important to remove gilts with low growth rates, becau-se a slow growing (< 0.6kg/d) and early maturing gilt(first estrus at 160 days) would weigh approximately 96kg at first estrus. If this gilt was bred in the appropriateweight range (135 – 150 kg body weight), she wouldneed to be bred at 4th or 5th estrus and would accumu-late nearly 84 days in the gilt stimulation/pre-breedingarea. Similarly, a slow growing (<0.6 kg/d) and late matu-ring (190 days) gilt would accumulate 30 days in stimu-lation and an additional 42 days to reach the minimumbreeding weight. Therefore, at Pre-Select 2, gilts notachieving a growth rate of 0.6 kg/d at 140 days of agewould not be permitted to enter the stimulation phase.Instead, they would be considered ”Non-Select” giltsand become a market animal. In a study conducted atthe University of Alberta, 13% of 228 gilts would havebeen culled because they did not meet the minimalgrowth criteria.

At “Pre-Select 2” gilts will be further examined to ensu-re that all gilts have good conformation, locomotion,12-14 teats and are still free of hernias, ruptures andother ailments. Again, conformation data obtained at“Pre-Select 2” can be used to set up gilts on “fattening”diets if needed.

The number of gilts required to enter the stimulationphase will depend on the breeding requirements of theherd. In a trial recently completed at Prairie SwineCentre, the results indicated that approximately 125%of breeding gilt requirements should enter the stimula-

tion phase (expecting 22% not to cycle and 3% to beculled) to obtain the required number of gilts cyclingwithin 40 days. However, if the target number of giltsneeded to enter the gilt pool cannot be met with giltsthat meet minimal growth targets at “Pre-Select 2”, anappropriate number of “Non-Select” gilts can enter thepuberty induction phase, as a last resort, accepting thatthese gilts will either tend to be bred below target bre-eding weight, or will accumulate excessive NPDs beforebreeding.

Final Selection – Puberty Induction

The age to begin puberty stimulation will depend on anumber of factors. Generally, a younger age at stimula-tion corresponds to a decreased age at puberty, butrequires more days in stimulation; and vice versa, oldergilts at stimulation are typically older at puberty, butrequire fewer days of stimulation. If a large proportionof gilts are required to reach a synchronous puberty,commencing boar exposure at an older age is desirable.This is also probably most efficient in terms of labourand space utilization. However, stimulating gilts at anearlier age has several benefits.

• Stimulating gilts at a young age enables the producerto identify gilts that are most sexually mature.• Stimulating gilts early would permit a producer tocull non-cycling gilts as market animals, reducing thenumber of gilt NPDs and the financial cost to the pro-ducer.

18 19

FUTURE

• A producer is able to manage gilts sothat at breeding, gilts have achieved atarget weight.(135 – 150 kg) and body condition.

• Early stimulation also allows a pro-ducer to synchronize estrus in giltsand thus meet breeding requirementsfrom a smaller pool of select (serviceeligible) gilts.

• Finally, early stimulation of giltspermits producers to take advantageof the increased productivity of giltsbred at second or third estrus.

It is important to understand that sti-mulation of early onset of pubertydoes not mean that these gilts have tobe bred at first estrus, or at an earlyage or light weight.

Historically, age at puberty has beenshown to be normally distributedwhen growth rate is not limiting. Thefull extent of this variation in age atfirst estrus is most apparent if gilts areexposed to mature boars at an earlyage (say 140 days as in the studiesdiscussed earlier). As previouslymentioned, puberty induction at anearly age serves to identify theprecocious animals. In a recentexperiment, out of 508 gilts stimula-ted with direct daily boar contactfrom 140d of age, 75% of gilts werepubertal within 40 days of stimula-tion. When stimulation is delayed toat least 160 days, it is possible toidentify 33, 16 and 7% of gilts that donot respond to boar stimuli within 20,30 or 40 days, respectively.

It is becoming increasingly importantto identify the 75 – 80% of gilts thatrespond best to boar stimuli, becausethere are sound biological reasons,and increasing amounts of produc-tion data, to support the suggestionthat late maturing gilts will havereduced lifetime fertility. An on-going study being conducted atPrairie Swine Centre, Saskatoon isexamining the relationship betweenage at puberty and lifetime perfor-mance in Camborough 22 and L42gilts.

The gilts were housed in groups of twenty and received 20 min directexposure to an epididimectomized boar daily, starting at 140.0 ± 4.7 dof age. Gilts attaining puberty by 180d of age were deemed to be“select” gilts and classified as Early (EP), Intermediate (IP) and Late (LP)with respect to age at first estrus. Gilts were deemed to be “Non-select”(NP) if first estrus was not shown by 180 days of age. “Select” gilts werebred at third estrus, regardless of age or weight. “Non-select” gilts wereadded to the gilt pool by production staff using available techniques (i.e.treatment with PG 600). To determine sow lifetime performance, dataon sow body weight, loin and backfat depth at farrowing and weaning,total litter size born alive, dead and mummies, weaning to estrus inter-val and reason for culling are being collected over three parities.

As a percentage of the total number of gilts on inventory at the start ofstimulation in each group, fewer “Non-Select” gilts were bred than anyof the classes of “Select” gilts. Consequently for NP gilts, pregnancy rate,farrowing rate, weaning rate and the percent rebred after weaning afterfirst parity (expressed as a % of gilts originally on inventory) were lowerthan for EP, IP or LP gilts. Furthermore, considering only those gilts suc-cessfully weaned as parity 1 sows, class of gilt affected (P < 0.02) thepercentage of animals pregnant as parity 2 sows (EP: 94.2; IP: 87.2; LP:91.0; and NP: 76.6 %). Similarly, breeding herd efficiencies (Non-Productive Days/pig born) declined as age at puberty increased, whengilts were bred at third estrus irrespective of weight or age. Taken toge-ther, these data lead to the obvious suggestion that response to a stan-dardized protocol of boar stimulation can be used to identify the 75-80% of gilts that are likely to be most fertile.

As illustrated in Figure 1, to meet breeding targets, or in start-up situa-tions, it may be necessary to retain Non-Select gilts as part of the bre-eding herd. However, retention of “Non- Select” gilts within the herdwould;

• Incur costs of unknown numbers of additional NPD.• Represent less efficient use of pen space within the gilt pool.• Still not guarantee that gilts would eventually cycle.

It is also important to emphasize that even if these gilts are bred, theirexpected fertility would be low. It may be good management practice toalready designate these “Non-Select” gilts at parity 1 culls, if they areincluded in the herd to meet initial breeding targets.

Taking these factors into account, and considering cost-benefits of effi-cient use of space and time, we recommend that the puberty inductionphase begins when gilts reach 160 days of age and continue until theyexhibit their first estrus or until 190 days of age, whichever comes first.

However, be aware that puberty stimulation at a delayed age (> 160days of age) will be reflected in the high body weight of “Non-Select”gilts (gilts that did not exhibit first estrus within 30 days). In our recentstudy, even when puberty induction began at 140 days of age, nearly80% of “Non-Select” gilts at 180 d were over market weight (120 kg),creating financial penalties to the breeding unit if these gilts were thenculled.

BREEDING GROUP MANAGEMENT

The results of the ongoing study at Prairie Swine Centre indicate thatearly exposure (135 -140 days of age) of gilts to boars resulted in a large variation in weightsand ages at puberty, ranging from 75.8 to 151.4 kg, and 132 to 190 d,respectively. Because all gilts were bred at third estrus, this variation inweight at puberty resulted in weights at breeding ranging from approxi-mately 100 to 190 kg. These large ranges present several problems to theproducer.

• Gilts that are heavyweight at breeding increase feed costs and maycause welfare problems because of potentially larger increased physicalsize of mature sows.

• Conversely, gilts that are lightweight at breeding may lack the neces-sary body reserves to sustain body condition through several parities.

Recent studies at the University of Alberta, and elsewhere, suggest thata minimum body weight after farrowing of 175-180 kg may be necessaryto protect against excessive loss of protein mass during the first lacta-tion. A body weight of 135-140 kg at breeding, assuming a 35-40 kgweight gain during the first gestation, would theoretically result in bodyweight after farrowing being 175 kg or greater. Development and imple-mentation of gilt management strategies that ensure that all gilts achie-ve adequate body tissue reserves at farrowing are necessary.

To overcome the problems associatedwith large variations in weight, astricter selection program should beimplemented, stipulating that all giltsweigh between 135 – 150 kg at bree-ding. If 1), during Pre-Select 1 andPre-Select 2 the slowest growing giltswere already culled, and 2), an upperlimit of 3rd estrus for breeding wasstipulated, the number of non-pro-ductive days can be dramaticallyreduced. It was predicted that 10, 32and 58% of gilts would be bred attheir first, second and third estrus,respectively. As the average cost ofone NPD is believed to be greater than$2.00 per day ($1.70 - $2.25), thesewill be considered cost benefits if NPDcould be reduced through efficientgilt management strategies. Ourrecent studies suggest that if a produ-cer was to implement a gilt manage-ment program that incorporated sucha strict selection program, a pubertyinduction phase that removes “Non-Select” gilts, and a breeding programthat requires gilts to be bred between135-150 kg or 3rd estrus, on a 600sow unit, expected savings of $11,426in NPD could be recognized.

CONCLUSIONS

PigCHAMP 2002 data shows that onCanadian farms the average herdfemale inventory is 1046 (range 240-2740) with an average replacementrate of 58.7% (range 33.4-74.4%).From these data, it is evident that anexcessively large pool of cycling giltsis needed to meet these replacementrequirements. Apart from the extracosts of maintaining a large gilt pool,the bias of production towards lowerparity females places major cons-traints on breeding herd performance.Therefore, it is essential that a produ-cer adopt a gilt management programthat will meet replacement targetsfrom a smaller pool of gilts withimproved lifetime breeding potential.This will ultimately result in improvedproduction through reducing animalreplacement rates to a target of<45%, improving sow “fitness”, decre-asing sow death losses and increasinglabour efficiency and space utilization.

18 19

FUTURE

• A producer is able to manage gilts sothat at breeding, gilts have achieved atarget weight.(135 – 150 kg) and body condition.

• Early stimulation also allows a pro-ducer to synchronize estrus in giltsand thus meet breeding requirementsfrom a smaller pool of select (serviceeligible) gilts.

• Finally, early stimulation of giltspermits producers to take advantageof the increased productivity of giltsbred at second or third estrus.

It is important to understand that sti-mulation of early onset of pubertydoes not mean that these gilts have tobe bred at first estrus, or at an earlyage or light weight.

Historically, age at puberty has beenshown to be normally distributedwhen growth rate is not limiting. Thefull extent of this variation in age atfirst estrus is most apparent if gilts areexposed to mature boars at an earlyage (say 140 days as in the studiesdiscussed earlier). As previouslymentioned, puberty induction at anearly age serves to identify theprecocious animals. In a recentexperiment, out of 508 gilts stimula-ted with direct daily boar contactfrom 140d of age, 75% of gilts werepubertal within 40 days of stimula-tion. When stimulation is delayed toat least 160 days, it is possible toidentify 33, 16 and 7% of gilts that donot respond to boar stimuli within 20,30 or 40 days, respectively.

It is becoming increasingly importantto identify the 75 – 80% of gilts thatrespond best to boar stimuli, becausethere are sound biological reasons,and increasing amounts of produc-tion data, to support the suggestionthat late maturing gilts will havereduced lifetime fertility. An on-going study being conducted atPrairie Swine Centre, Saskatoon isexamining the relationship betweenage at puberty and lifetime perfor-mance in Camborough 22 and L42gilts.

The gilts were housed in groups of twenty and received 20 min directexposure to an epididimectomized boar daily, starting at 140.0 ± 4.7 dof age. Gilts attaining puberty by 180d of age were deemed to be“select” gilts and classified as Early (EP), Intermediate (IP) and Late (LP)with respect to age at first estrus. Gilts were deemed to be “Non-select”(NP) if first estrus was not shown by 180 days of age. “Select” gilts werebred at third estrus, regardless of age or weight. “Non-select” gilts wereadded to the gilt pool by production staff using available techniques (i.e.treatment with PG 600). To determine sow lifetime performance, dataon sow body weight, loin and backfat depth at farrowing and weaning,total litter size born alive, dead and mummies, weaning to estrus inter-val and reason for culling are being collected over three parities.

As a percentage of the total number of gilts on inventory at the start ofstimulation in each group, fewer “Non-Select” gilts were bred than anyof the classes of “Select” gilts. Consequently for NP gilts, pregnancy rate,farrowing rate, weaning rate and the percent rebred after weaning afterfirst parity (expressed as a % of gilts originally on inventory) were lowerthan for EP, IP or LP gilts. Furthermore, considering only those gilts suc-cessfully weaned as parity 1 sows, class of gilt affected (P < 0.02) thepercentage of animals pregnant as parity 2 sows (EP: 94.2; IP: 87.2; LP:91.0; and NP: 76.6 %). Similarly, breeding herd efficiencies (Non-Productive Days/pig born) declined as age at puberty increased, whengilts were bred at third estrus irrespective of weight or age. Taken toge-ther, these data lead to the obvious suggestion that response to a stan-dardized protocol of boar stimulation can be used to identify the 75-80% of gilts that are likely to be most fertile.

As illustrated in Figure 1, to meet breeding targets, or in start-up situa-tions, it may be necessary to retain Non-Select gilts as part of the bre-eding herd. However, retention of “Non- Select” gilts within the herdwould;

• Incur costs of unknown numbers of additional NPD.• Represent less efficient use of pen space within the gilt pool.• Still not guarantee that gilts would eventually cycle.

It is also important to emphasize that even if these gilts are bred, theirexpected fertility would be low. It may be good management practice toalready designate these “Non-Select” gilts at parity 1 culls, if they areincluded in the herd to meet initial breeding targets.

Taking these factors into account, and considering cost-benefits of effi-cient use of space and time, we recommend that the puberty inductionphase begins when gilts reach 160 days of age and continue until theyexhibit their first estrus or until 190 days of age, whichever comes first.

However, be aware that puberty stimulation at a delayed age (> 160days of age) will be reflected in the high body weight of “Non-Select”gilts (gilts that did not exhibit first estrus within 30 days). In our recentstudy, even when puberty induction began at 140 days of age, nearly80% of “Non-Select” gilts at 180 d were over market weight (120 kg),creating financial penalties to the breeding unit if these gilts were thenculled.

BREEDING GROUP MANAGEMENT

The results of the ongoing study at Prairie Swine Centre indicate thatearly exposure (135 -140 days of age) of gilts to boars resulted in a large variation in weightsand ages at puberty, ranging from 75.8 to 151.4 kg, and 132 to 190 d,respectively. Because all gilts were bred at third estrus, this variation inweight at puberty resulted in weights at breeding ranging from approxi-mately 100 to 190 kg. These large ranges present several problems to theproducer.

• Gilts that are heavyweight at breeding increase feed costs and maycause welfare problems because of potentially larger increased physicalsize of mature sows.

• Conversely, gilts that are lightweight at breeding may lack the neces-sary body reserves to sustain body condition through several parities.

Recent studies at the University of Alberta, and elsewhere, suggest thata minimum body weight after farrowing of 175-180 kg may be necessaryto protect against excessive loss of protein mass during the first lacta-tion. A body weight of 135-140 kg at breeding, assuming a 35-40 kgweight gain during the first gestation, would theoretically result in bodyweight after farrowing being 175 kg or greater. Development and imple-mentation of gilt management strategies that ensure that all gilts achie-ve adequate body tissue reserves at farrowing are necessary.

To overcome the problems associatedwith large variations in weight, astricter selection program should beimplemented, stipulating that all giltsweigh between 135 – 150 kg at bree-ding. If 1), during Pre-Select 1 andPre-Select 2 the slowest growing giltswere already culled, and 2), an upperlimit of 3rd estrus for breeding wasstipulated, the number of non-pro-ductive days can be dramaticallyreduced. It was predicted that 10, 32and 58% of gilts would be bred attheir first, second and third estrus,respectively. As the average cost ofone NPD is believed to be greater than$2.00 per day ($1.70 - $2.25), thesewill be considered cost benefits if NPDcould be reduced through efficientgilt management strategies. Ourrecent studies suggest that if a produ-cer was to implement a gilt manage-ment program that incorporated sucha strict selection program, a pubertyinduction phase that removes “Non-Select” gilts, and a breeding programthat requires gilts to be bred between135-150 kg or 3rd estrus, on a 600sow unit, expected savings of $11,426in NPD could be recognized.

CONCLUSIONS

PigCHAMP 2002 data shows that onCanadian farms the average herdfemale inventory is 1046 (range 240-2740) with an average replacementrate of 58.7% (range 33.4-74.4%).From these data, it is evident that anexcessively large pool of cycling giltsis needed to meet these replacementrequirements. Apart from the extracosts of maintaining a large gilt pool,the bias of production towards lowerparity females places major cons-traints on breeding herd performance.Therefore, it is essential that a produ-cer adopt a gilt management programthat will meet replacement targetsfrom a smaller pool of gilts withimproved lifetime breeding potential.This will ultimately result in improvedproduction through reducing animalreplacement rates to a target of<45%, improving sow “fitness”, decre-asing sow death losses and increasinglabour efficiency and space utilization.

China is the world’s largest pork producer and consumer.Post forecasts China’s end-of-year swine inventory in2006 at 519 million head, a 3.7 percent increase from theestimated 500 million head in 2005. Slaughtered swine in2006 are forecast at 692 million head, a 5.9 percent incre-ase from the estimated 653 million head in 2005. Porkproduction for 2006 is forecast to increase 4 percent to509 million MT from the estimated 489 MMT in 2005 dueto an increase in slaughter driven by high prices.

20 21

SWINE PRODUCTION IN

China’s swine production has benefited from efficiencygains due to improved breeds and feed. This is reflected byincreased imports of breeding swine. Regarding China’sfeed improvements, please refer to the poultry annualreport (CH5064). The sow ratio in 2006 is forecast at 8.8percent of the total beginning swine stock, slightly higherthan 2005. In main swine production areas like Hunan,Henan, Shandong and Hebei provinces, the sow ratio rea-ched 10, 11.8, 11.6 and 11.4 percent respectively in thefirst quarter of 2005, far above the normal ratio of 8 per-cent. This will translate into a continued strong swineproduction in both 2005 and 2006.

The steady growth in pork production is driven by China’spopulation growth and by slight average consumption

swineand porkin chinaincreases due to continued urbanization and wealth. Also,pork is the cheapest meat among all red meats. It is stillthe first choice of many lower-income consumers for ani-mal protein.

Improved processing has contributed to pork productionand consumption as well. There were 2,232 meat-proces-sing plants at the end of 2004, each with an annual sales’value above RMB 5 million. Most of them are pork-pro-cessing plants. Investment in the slaughter and processingsector has increased considerably. Foreign investmentthrough joint ventures using international health stan-dards and HACCP management has helped improve porkquality. Commercial sales of domestic pork inside China in2004 reached 20.8 MMT, accounting for 44 percent oftotal pork production, a 2.5 percent increase over the pre-vious year.

Like the broiler industry, China’s swine and pork produc-tion is mainly constrained by limited feed resources, waterand energy (please refer to poultry annual report CH5064for more details). Disease control is a huge challenge, butChina is making huge efforts to strengthen its veterinarysystem—supported by significant USDA collaboration.

Pig-born disease, Streptococcus suis

From May to August, a pig-borne bacterial disease,Streptococcus suis, spread to 32 counties and 10 cities inSichuan Province, killing 40 humans and affecting over200 people.

Over 600 pigs died of the disease. Streptococcus suis is

not an unusual disease in swine, though the rapid infec-tion of humans has surprised world health experts.Insufficient management of swine on small-scale, familyfarms in Sichuan would explain the spread of the bacte-rium in the swine population. The last outbreak ofStreptococcus in swine occurred in China in 1998. Thisincident demonstrates the critical importance of timely,public information and education on destroying sick ani-mals, in addition to the need for proper management ofswine. Sichuan is the largest swine producing provinceand a swine and pork exporter to Hong Kong. Hong Kongmarket accounts for one-third of China’s total porkexport markets. Trade was suspended for a short period,but shipments started moving again after the disease wasbrought under control. As a result, China’s pork exportswill not suffer significantly.

Pork consumption for 2006 forecast to grow 4 per-cent to 50.4 million MT

China’s pork consumption in 2006 is forecast at 50.4MMT, a 4 percent increase from the estimated 48.4 MMTin 2005. The pace of growth in consumption for 2006 isforecast slightly higher compared with 2005 due to theabove-mentioned reasons (see production).

Pork is consumed widely in China, especially in northernand central China (for example, Sichuan), while beef,sheep and goat meat is heavily consumed in West,Southwest and Northwest China for cultural reasons ofreligion and food diet. Northern consumers like fresh orfrozen pork, while southern consumers eat a lot of prepa-red salted or smoked pork. Pork fillet is popular for

USDA Foreign Agricultural Service,GAIN Report 2005China’s pork production during 2006 forecast to incre-ase 4 percent to 509. MMT

China is the world’s largest pork producer and consumer.Post forecasts China’s end-of-year swine inventory in2006 at 519 million head, a 3.7 percent increase from theestimated 500 million head in 2005. Slaughtered swine in2006 are forecast at 692 million head, a 5.9 percent incre-ase from the estimated 653 million head in 2005. Porkproduction for 2006 is forecast to increase 4 percent to509 million MT from the estimated 489 MMT in 2005 dueto an increase in slaughter driven by high prices.

20 21

SWINE PRODUCTION IN

China’s swine production has benefited from efficiencygains due to improved breeds and feed. This is reflected byincreased imports of breeding swine. Regarding China’sfeed improvements, please refer to the poultry annualreport (CH5064). The sow ratio in 2006 is forecast at 8.8percent of the total beginning swine stock, slightly higherthan 2005. In main swine production areas like Hunan,Henan, Shandong and Hebei provinces, the sow ratio rea-ched 10, 11.8, 11.6 and 11.4 percent respectively in thefirst quarter of 2005, far above the normal ratio of 8 per-cent. This will translate into a continued strong swineproduction in both 2005 and 2006.

The steady growth in pork production is driven by China’spopulation growth and by slight average consumption

swineand porkin chinaincreases due to continued urbanization and wealth. Also,pork is the cheapest meat among all red meats. It is stillthe first choice of many lower-income consumers for ani-mal protein.

Improved processing has contributed to pork productionand consumption as well. There were 2,232 meat-proces-sing plants at the end of 2004, each with an annual sales’value above RMB 5 million. Most of them are pork-pro-cessing plants. Investment in the slaughter and processingsector has increased considerably. Foreign investmentthrough joint ventures using international health stan-dards and HACCP management has helped improve porkquality. Commercial sales of domestic pork inside China in2004 reached 20.8 MMT, accounting for 44 percent oftotal pork production, a 2.5 percent increase over the pre-vious year.

Like the broiler industry, China’s swine and pork produc-tion is mainly constrained by limited feed resources, waterand energy (please refer to poultry annual report CH5064for more details). Disease control is a huge challenge, butChina is making huge efforts to strengthen its veterinarysystem—supported by significant USDA collaboration.

Pig-born disease, Streptococcus suis

From May to August, a pig-borne bacterial disease,Streptococcus suis, spread to 32 counties and 10 cities inSichuan Province, killing 40 humans and affecting over200 people.

Over 600 pigs died of the disease. Streptococcus suis is

not an unusual disease in swine, though the rapid infec-tion of humans has surprised world health experts.Insufficient management of swine on small-scale, familyfarms in Sichuan would explain the spread of the bacte-rium in the swine population. The last outbreak ofStreptococcus in swine occurred in China in 1998. Thisincident demonstrates the critical importance of timely,public information and education on destroying sick ani-mals, in addition to the need for proper management ofswine. Sichuan is the largest swine producing provinceand a swine and pork exporter to Hong Kong. Hong Kongmarket accounts for one-third of China’s total porkexport markets. Trade was suspended for a short period,but shipments started moving again after the disease wasbrought under control. As a result, China’s pork exportswill not suffer significantly.

Pork consumption for 2006 forecast to grow 4 per-cent to 50.4 million MT

China’s pork consumption in 2006 is forecast at 50.4MMT, a 4 percent increase from the estimated 48.4 MMTin 2005. The pace of growth in consumption for 2006 isforecast slightly higher compared with 2005 due to theabove-mentioned reasons (see production).

Pork is consumed widely in China, especially in northernand central China (for example, Sichuan), while beef,sheep and goat meat is heavily consumed in West,Southwest and Northwest China for cultural reasons ofreligion and food diet. Northern consumers like fresh orfrozen pork, while southern consumers eat a lot of prepa-red salted or smoked pork. Pork fillet is popular for

USDA Foreign Agricultural Service,GAIN Report 2005China’s pork production during 2006 forecast to incre-ase 4 percent to 509. MMT

22 23

SWINE PRODUCTION IN

making all kinds of fried dishes at home or in restaurants.Pork offal is popularly used for soup, hot pot or cold dis-hes. Pigs’ ears and tongues and other offal are for colddishes.

Consumers particularly like pigs’ trotters, especially thefront feet because they are shorter and meatier, and thetendons are not destroyed by hooking on trails like thoseof the hind legs during slaughter.

Pork prices forecast from steady to weak in the secondhalf of 2005

In the first half of 2005, China’s average retail pork pricewas $1.63, a 7 percent increase over the same period of2004. Average retail prices in the first quarter increased13.5 percent. Overall production costs rose for feed grains,water, electricity, transportation and animal disease con-trol, putting upwards pressure on prices. Seasonal demandfor pork during the calendar New Year and the traditionalChinese Spring Festival contributed to higher prices.Prices started falling during the second quarter, and theaverage retail price in June dropped to almost the samelevel in June 2004. Increased domestic swine slaughter,driven by high profit and increased poultry imports afterChina lifted its ban on U.S. poultry, combined with decre-asing feed grain prices due to a domestic grain productionincrease and large imports of soy bean for soy meal infeed, pushed prices downwards. Pork prices are forecast toremain steady in the second half of 2005.

Pork imports in 2006 forecast to decrease 28.5 per-

cent to 50,000 MT due to domestic production incre-ases, higher international prices and import policychanges

China’s pork imports for 2006 are forecast at 50,000 MT,a 28.5 percent decrease from the estimated 70,000 MT in2005, and pork offal imports for 2006 are forecast todecrease 20 percent to 145,000 MT. Pork and pork offalimports in 2005 are estimated to decrease considerably aswell. Imports are falling, instead of rising as forecast inthe previous semiannual report (CH5010), due to domes-tic production increases, higher international prices andimport policy changes.

In the first half of 2005, China’s average imported porkprice increased 34 percent over the same period of 2004,while the price for most popular unboned hams andshoulders increased 48 percent, from $0.71 to $1.04 perkilogram. The average price for China’s imported popularpork offal went up 16 percent, while U.S. origin pork offalincreased 23.5 percent, from $0.81 to $1.00 per kilogram.U.S. direct pork shipments to China decreased 79.8 per-cent, from 20,616 MT to 4,217 MT and indirect shipmentsthrough Hong Kong decreased 96 percent, from 7,390 MTto 266 MT during the same period. U.S. direct pork offalshipments to China decreased 41.7 percent from 64,408MT to 37,564 MT and indirect shipments decreased 82.9percent from 20,343 MT to 3,482 MT during the sameperiod.

When HK re-export numbers became available for 2004,post revised the import number in the PSD table for 2004

up to 155,000 MT multiplied by 1.3, except carcass andbone-in products, to convert from product weight to car-cass weight.

Import policy change affects China’s imports and cha-llenges U.S. exports

Effective from July 1, 2005, China no longer issues importquarantine permits for imported meat used for proces-sing. Exporting plants in countries of origin must be audi-ted and registered upon their application before July 1 inorder to be eligible (except the U.S.). The already issuedpermits for processing are valid until the end of the year.Once registered, plants in third countries will also be eli-gible to export meat to China’s retail market, which wasnot allowed in the past when processing was permitted.

The U.S. operates the only national meat safety systemaccepted by China. As long as U.S. plants comply withUSDA’s health requirements, they are eligible to export toChina. Plants in other countries have to be audited andregistered one by one (see list below). The new regulationpermitting a plant-by-plant approval in these third coun-tries will lead to less gray channel trade through HongKong. In the past, meat from other countries was oftensmuggled into China under forged USDA health certifica-tes or mixed with U.S. products to enter China’s retailmarket. The new policy will result in new competition forU.S. suppliers in China’s retail meat sector.

As of May 2005, all meat transshipments to the mainlandthrough Hong Kong are subject to pre-inspection in Hong

Kong. The additional cost of pre-inspection, costing$300-500 per container, has made China’s indirectimports less competitive. This will further encouragedirect shipments to China in the future.

China’s pork exports during 2006 forecast at 584,000MT, a 4.8 percent increase from 2005

Post forecasts China’s pork exports for 2006 at 584,000MT, a 4.8 percent increase from the estimated 557,000 MTin 2005, mainly due to export market demand increases,especially Japan and Russia. Exports are forecast to incre-ase for 7 years’ running from 73,000 NT in 2000 to584,000 MT in 2006. Asian countries are China’s mainexport markets. Most of the export increases lies in coo-ked or prepared pork. Frozen carcass or frozen carcass ofsucking pigs decreased considerably due to Russia’s TRQRegime. Russia’s imports of processed pork are not subjectto the TRQ limit, and Russia’s importers have shifted tomore boneless meat from other countries to maximize theuse of their import licenses for better profit.

Live cattle exports in 2006 are forecast to increase 5percent to 2.2 million head

Post forecast China’s live swine exports for 2006 at 2.2million head, a 5 percent increase from the estimated 2.1million head, due to Hong Kong and Macao demandincreases. Hong Kong and Macao account for 99 percentof China’s total live swine exports. This trend will continueinto the next couple of years, as long as China can con-trol pig-borne diseases.

China’s swine production has benefited from efficiency gains due to improved breeds and feed.In the first half of 2005, China’s average imported pork price increased 34 percent.

22 23

SWINE PRODUCTION IN

making all kinds of fried dishes at home or in restaurants.Pork offal is popularly used for soup, hot pot or cold dis-hes. Pigs’ ears and tongues and other offal are for colddishes.

Consumers particularly like pigs’ trotters, especially thefront feet because they are shorter and meatier, and thetendons are not destroyed by hooking on trails like thoseof the hind legs during slaughter.

Pork prices forecast from steady to weak in the secondhalf of 2005

In the first half of 2005, China’s average retail pork pricewas $1.63, a 7 percent increase over the same period of2004. Average retail prices in the first quarter increased13.5 percent. Overall production costs rose for feed grains,water, electricity, transportation and animal disease con-trol, putting upwards pressure on prices. Seasonal demandfor pork during the calendar New Year and the traditionalChinese Spring Festival contributed to higher prices.Prices started falling during the second quarter, and theaverage retail price in June dropped to almost the samelevel in June 2004. Increased domestic swine slaughter,driven by high profit and increased poultry imports afterChina lifted its ban on U.S. poultry, combined with decre-asing feed grain prices due to a domestic grain productionincrease and large imports of soy bean for soy meal infeed, pushed prices downwards. Pork prices are forecast toremain steady in the second half of 2005.

Pork imports in 2006 forecast to decrease 28.5 per-

cent to 50,000 MT due to domestic production incre-ases, higher international prices and import policychanges

China’s pork imports for 2006 are forecast at 50,000 MT,a 28.5 percent decrease from the estimated 70,000 MT in2005, and pork offal imports for 2006 are forecast todecrease 20 percent to 145,000 MT. Pork and pork offalimports in 2005 are estimated to decrease considerably aswell. Imports are falling, instead of rising as forecast inthe previous semiannual report (CH5010), due to domes-tic production increases, higher international prices andimport policy changes.

In the first half of 2005, China’s average imported porkprice increased 34 percent over the same period of 2004,while the price for most popular unboned hams andshoulders increased 48 percent, from $0.71 to $1.04 perkilogram. The average price for China’s imported popularpork offal went up 16 percent, while U.S. origin pork offalincreased 23.5 percent, from $0.81 to $1.00 per kilogram.U.S. direct pork shipments to China decreased 79.8 per-cent, from 20,616 MT to 4,217 MT and indirect shipmentsthrough Hong Kong decreased 96 percent, from 7,390 MTto 266 MT during the same period. U.S. direct pork offalshipments to China decreased 41.7 percent from 64,408MT to 37,564 MT and indirect shipments decreased 82.9percent from 20,343 MT to 3,482 MT during the sameperiod.

When HK re-export numbers became available for 2004,post revised the import number in the PSD table for 2004

up to 155,000 MT multiplied by 1.3, except carcass andbone-in products, to convert from product weight to car-cass weight.

Import policy change affects China’s imports and cha-llenges U.S. exports

Effective from July 1, 2005, China no longer issues importquarantine permits for imported meat used for proces-sing. Exporting plants in countries of origin must be audi-ted and registered upon their application before July 1 inorder to be eligible (except the U.S.). The already issuedpermits for processing are valid until the end of the year.Once registered, plants in third countries will also be eli-gible to export meat to China’s retail market, which wasnot allowed in the past when processing was permitted.

The U.S. operates the only national meat safety systemaccepted by China. As long as U.S. plants comply withUSDA’s health requirements, they are eligible to export toChina. Plants in other countries have to be audited andregistered one by one (see list below). The new regulationpermitting a plant-by-plant approval in these third coun-tries will lead to less gray channel trade through HongKong. In the past, meat from other countries was oftensmuggled into China under forged USDA health certifica-tes or mixed with U.S. products to enter China’s retailmarket. The new policy will result in new competition forU.S. suppliers in China’s retail meat sector.

As of May 2005, all meat transshipments to the mainlandthrough Hong Kong are subject to pre-inspection in Hong

Kong. The additional cost of pre-inspection, costing$300-500 per container, has made China’s indirectimports less competitive. This will further encouragedirect shipments to China in the future.

China’s pork exports during 2006 forecast at 584,000MT, a 4.8 percent increase from 2005

Post forecasts China’s pork exports for 2006 at 584,000MT, a 4.8 percent increase from the estimated 557,000 MTin 2005, mainly due to export market demand increases,especially Japan and Russia. Exports are forecast to incre-ase for 7 years’ running from 73,000 NT in 2000 to584,000 MT in 2006. Asian countries are China’s mainexport markets. Most of the export increases lies in coo-ked or prepared pork. Frozen carcass or frozen carcass ofsucking pigs decreased considerably due to Russia’s TRQRegime. Russia’s imports of processed pork are not subjectto the TRQ limit, and Russia’s importers have shifted tomore boneless meat from other countries to maximize theuse of their import licenses for better profit.

Live cattle exports in 2006 are forecast to increase 5percent to 2.2 million head

Post forecast China’s live swine exports for 2006 at 2.2million head, a 5 percent increase from the estimated 2.1million head, due to Hong Kong and Macao demandincreases. Hong Kong and Macao account for 99 percentof China’s total live swine exports. This trend will continueinto the next couple of years, as long as China can con-trol pig-borne diseases.

China’s swine production has benefited from efficiency gains due to improved breeds and feed.In the first half of 2005, China’s average imported pork price increased 34 percent.