pig progress

www.PigProgress.netwww.PigProgress.net

T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L M A G A Z I N E O N P I G P R O D U C T I O N V O L . 2 7 N O . 4 2 0 1 1

VIV review: Profits meet

pathogens in Asia

Beat heat stress:

Choosethe right

sow

Reuse of Reuse of energy in energy in Thai pig Thai pig industryindustry

11PPR004_Cover horizontal 111PPR004_Cover horizontal 1 5/13/2011 3:34:28 PM5/13/2011 3:34:28 PM

At Kemin AgriFoods, we are truly close to you, in every sense of the word. Our R&D and manufacturing centers are all over the world, giving our scientists, nutritionists and salespeople first-hand experience with the specific circumstances you encounter every day. The scientific insights we have gathered over the last 50 years are individually adapted to meet your specific needs.

It is through working closely with you that we’re able to create the right tools and

nutritional solutions to contribute to the safe, efficient and healthy production of animal protein.

Our customer tailored services, proven scientific knowledge, and reliable technology confirms our reputation as a total solution provider and your trusted advisor: helpful, honest and proven.

Kemin AgriFoods - the advisor you can always count on.www.kemin.com

ButiPEARL™ I CholiPEARL™ I CLOSTAT™ I KEMTRACE® I KEMZYME® I LYSOFORTE® I LysiPEARL™ I MetiPEARL™ I TOXFIN®

The advisor you can count on

© 2011 Kemin Industries, Inc., 2011 All rights reserved ™Trademark ®Registered by Kemin Industries, Inc. USA

PIG PROGRESS Volume 27, No. 4 2011 3

ContentsContents

www.PigProgress.net

http://www.

More opinions and discussions can be viewed at www.PigProgress.net/weblog/

6 Health Knowledge and control help fight Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Asia When animal suffering and destruction is numbered inmillions of heads – there the quest to improve controlefforts and minimise the destructive impacts of FMD areworthy priorities. At the recently held APVS Congress inThailand, the memory of the recent outbreak in SouthKorea was still fresh – so FMD control was very topical.

14 Farm visit Generating as much renewable energy as possibleThailand’s Ratchaburi province is one of the mainregions for pig production in Thailand. Using the region’sample sources for raw materials and with the large capital market of Bangkok close by, the area offers every opportunity a pig farmer could wish for. SPM pig farmmoves into a new dimension of renewable energy.

16 Review Asia: Where profits and pathogens meetVIV Asia 2011 was a show with a vibrant atmospherethat has never been seen before. The South East Asianpig industries are skyrocketing, especially in Vietnamand China where strong growth figures can be noted.Since more pigs also means increased disease pressure,all major pig countries in the Far East are stepping up vaccination programmes. What is happening where?

18 Breeding Beating stress by choosing the right sowModern breeding sows are highly productive, but there isstill potential to achieve even better results for reproduction. These targets can be made by selectinglines that are particularly robust and which will performwell under a range of environmental conditions.

4 Research & DevelopmentsDiary, legislative matters and updates from the scientific world

11 ColumnWhat the textbooks don’t tellyou about... Crushing

12 ReviewAPVS Congress gives updateon highly pathogenic PRRS

20 Regional focus Philippine pig farms stepping

up biosecurity

22 Welfare Pig welfare: A contentious issue

for Australia’s pig farmers

25 Business newsNew products, investments,mergers and people on themove

EditorialI am seriously considering joining the public debate in the Netherlands when it comes down to discussing agricultural matters.

Once more it has become clear to me that there is just a lot of public ignorance, which is helping animal welfare organisations

reach their goals. What happened? For a change, a national newspaper had taken the effort to visit a Dutch pig producer who

had just built a new gestating house, full with free access stalls. With debates going on about organically produced food, a ban

on ritual unanaesthesised slaughter, and a clampdown on larger agricultural building projects, the paper wanted to hear a

producer’s side of the story. What is actually happening in the business, how does he like producing pigs in the Netherlands,

etc. Naturally, the year 2013 was mentioned, as by then all gestating sows have to be kept in group housing systems - a big

change in Europe. Great idea, loved the article, a good example of balanced reporting. The article carried a large picture of the interior of the sow house.

It looked very modern, and was well equipped. None of the sows were stretching their legs - the whole bunch had their heads stuck in the troughs. The

picture must have been made at feeding time, I concluded with a smile. Two days later - a letter to the editor was published. One reader had seen the

picture and wrote: “All my life I have been considering becoming a vegetarian and seeing this picture, with all these intelligent creatures standing

cramped next to each other, with nowhere to go, convinced me it was time to do so.” There’s still a lot to do...

Vincent ter Beek, editor, Pig Progress ([email protected]); @pigprogress (Twitter)

11PPR004_Contents 311PPR004_Contents 3 5/12/2011 1:56:10 PM5/12/2011 1:56:10 PM

4 PIG PROGRESS Volume 27, No. 4 2011 www.PigProgress.net

Research & DevelopmentsResearch & Developments

Test for improving pig feedAustralia Scientists at the Department of Agriculture and Food in Western Australia are close to developing a new rapid computerised screening tool for pork producers to measure pro-tein quality in imported soybean meal. Principal researcher Jae Kim said the tool, expected to be developed by June this year, would enable pro-ducers to check the lysine quality in soybean meal, an important ingredient in the diet of young pigs. “Lysine is the most important essential amino acid in pig nutrition,” he said.

“A deficient or short supply of lysine hinders the utilisation of other amino acids needed for the efficient production of pigs. So it is important for producers to be able to precisely estimate the biologically available lysine in pig diets.

“Lysine is susceptible to heat damage during the processing and storage of foods, and although the damaged lysine can be digested and absorbed in the small intestine, it cannot be used for body protein synthesis and muscle growth.”

Kim said conventional total amino acid analysis could not discriminate the heat damaged lysine, and so it overestimated the biologically available (reactive) lysine in a protein meal.

“With global soybean oil processing companies using varying processing conditions during the extraction of oil, the reactive lysine content in pig diets is highly variable,” he said.

“Preliminary results showed up to 27% variation in reactive lysine content in collected soybean meal samples.” Department scientists have been working on the project for nearly two years.

“Bad farms make crisis last”Belgium The Belgian pig industry needs to be cleansed in order to revitalise the industry, says Prof Guido Van Huylenbroeck, Agricultural Economy, Ghent University, Belgium. In an interview, Van Huylenbroeck stated that quite a number of pig farms are financed too strongly, but still achieve rather bad technical results.

He was quoted to say, “In case they should not have done this, the less profitable companies would have ceased to exist, would not have added to the oversupply and this would mean difficulties for better performing pig farms would be a lot smaller.”

Van Huylenbroeck does believe in a future for the Belgian pig industry as a self-sufficiency rate of 250% is enough for having a future. “Certain players in the market had better focused on certain targeted markets and organise the supply chain towards that goal.” At the moment, he considers the Belgian pig to be a generic pig, that could be sold at any market to any price.

Less pigs needed worldwideThe Netherlands About 40% less pigs would be needed worldwide if all pork production would take place very efficiently, Dutch scientists have concluded. Scientists at the Agricultural Economics Research Institute (LEI) from the Wageningen University, calculated that about 44 million sows would be sufficient to meet the annual demanded carcass weight of 106 million tonnes of pork. The researchers stated that the required amount of sows per tonne slaughter-weight in the Netherlands is low – and they used these efficiency figures for further calculations. According to FAOStat figures, planet Earth had a total of 941 million pigs in 2009. Pork production worldwide that year was 106 million tonnes of carcass weight. Should the production efficiency be similar to that of the Netherlands, a reduction of 40% (to 528 million pigs) could be achieved.

Sustainable housing concept The Netherlands A project including Wageningen UR has received a subsidy to build a new type of sustainable pig barn. The housing concept called Starplus *** 4 PPP-P – is welfare friendly, has a reduced ammonia, smell and methane emission rate, produces sustainable energy and high quality fertiliser. The barn has several characteristics like special indoor and outdoor areas, special inlets for daylight and a natural ventilation system. The latter two features will reduce the energy costs for mechanical ventilation and artificial lighting. Manure is removed continuously from the barn, creating a clean and fresh indoor environment for the animals and farmer. A great part of the manure, together with left-over rooting material, can be used for sustainable energy production on-farm. The next two years, the barn will be tested under experimental and practical circumstances.

Nutrition research

news/• The latest on Foot-and-Mouth Disease in South Korea

• Turkey and Bulgaria trying to keep FMD out

• First quarter results of pig industry related companies

• Previews on SafePork, VIV shows and World Pork Expo

weblogs/• Dr Ioannis Mavromichalis: Can fababeans replace soya?

• John Gadd: Buying feed in 2011: The right way to do it

www.pigprogress.net/

Eucalyptus fatty acidsResearch conducted in Canada investigated

the use of medium-chain fatty acids from

eucalyptus against zinc oxide and antibiotics

in diets for nursery pigs. Results appeared

quite promising with eucalyptus fatty acids

being able to increase growth performance

compared to the other two standard growth

promoters. I expect these data to be verified

soon.

Han et al. (2011), Journal of Swine Health and Production, 19:34–43.

Barley and carcass qualityFeeding barley is known to promote carcass

fat firmness; a much desired characteristic.

New research has revealed that diets based

on barley for the last 45 days before market

also reduce the level of indole in carcass fat.

Indole is an organic aromatic compound

found in faeces, where at high concentrations

gives an unpleasant odour, but also in

flowers, where at very low levels contributes

to their pleasant aroma! In general, we want

very low levels of indole in pork chops.

Pauly et al. (2011), Animal, 5: 378-386.

Soy protein replaces fish mealIncreasing prices for fish meal, globally, have

increased the efforts to find a suitable

replacement. Work conducted at Kansas State

University revealed that fish meal can be

replaced by soy protein concentrate (of

course, after balancing for energy, amino

acids, and minerals). This is a confirmation of

a widely practised ‘secret’ already happening

at a commercial level. Of course, the basal

diet must be of an above average quality to

begin with.

Wing et al, (2010), KSU Progress Report, 1038:49-53.

Dr Ioannis Mavromichalis, international consulting nutritionist

11PPR004_News 411PPR004_News 4 5/13/2011 2:21:30 PM5/13/2011 2:21:30 PM


Research & DevelopmentsResearch & Developments

www.PigProgress.net

Diary

http://www.

Visit www.PigProgress.net/events/ for a complete and searchable calendar of events

http://www.

For up-to-date news on the pig industry visit www.PigProgress.net/news/

“Standard needed for measuring taint”Germany In recent research into the possibilities of breeding to reduce the influence of boar taint, scientists have called for a standardisation of measuring procedures for skatole and androstenone. These two compo-nents are often considered the ones to be most responsible for creating boar taint. In their article ‘Breeding for reduced boar taint’, researchers Frieden, Looft and Tholen, from the University of Bonn, Germany, write: “The intensity of boar taint in carcasses of intact boars can be reduced by selection. This can help the pork industry in gradually reducing the number of carcasses discarded because of boar taint and eventually eliminate the need for castration. To achieve optimal response to selec-tion, standardised procedures for measuring the two main components of boar taint, androstenone and skatole, should be developed.”They continue to write: “Two current research projects are focused on the development of automated measurement of boar taint for use in slaughterlines of commercial abattoirs as well as on live animals for selection purposes. The eventual goal is to develop techniques for screening live boars for taint score, based on microbiopsy of backfat, saliva or blood samples, which would speed up genetic progress.”

Farrowing pens can reduce piglet deathsNorway Researchers at the University of Life Sciences (UBM) are studying the habits of newborn piglets and their mothers with the aim of reducing piglet mortality. Associate professor Lise Andersen, of Ethology (the study of animal behaviour) at the University of Life Sciences (UMB) at Ås south of Oslo, believes she has found a solution to the mortality problem: a unique farrowing pen that takes account of the sow’s biology and behavioural requirements while providing greater safety for the piglets.

Researchers took a new approach and created an open pen with an activity area and a nest area. The areas are separated by a barrier that only the sow can cross at first. This means that she gets peace and quiet in the activity area for eating and dunging, while the nest area is reserved for suckling and sleeping.

In the nest area, the piglets lie on rubber mats, and the slotted floor in the activity area is also covered in rubber. This seems to prevent shoul-der sores and leg problems in the sow. To prevent the 200 kg sow from lying on the piglets, a sloping panel has been installed that slopes down from the actual pen wall. This means that the piglets can retreat to the space between the wall and the sloping panel when their mother lies down. The nest area also has floor heating in two zones that can be controlled separately. This means that the sow, whose body tempera-ture is higher when she lactates, can lie in a nest area without floor heating, while the piglets can lie on the heated floor.

Results are promising. “We have now reached a piglet mortality rate of around 9%, compared with an average of 15% under the current system. The sow quickly calms down when she is moved to the pen, she is calm around the time of farrowing and uses the pen the way we intended. The piglets are also growing nicely,” Andersen says.

So far, the pen has only been tested on a limited number of pigs at UMB and its partner institution, the University of Sydney. Improvements will have to be made and testing is required on a larger scale before the pen can be put into commercial production.

Read more about the Australian side to this story on page 22 onwards.

2011

12-15 June, 6th International Symposium on Emerging and Re-emerging Pig Diseases,

Barcelona, Spain.

Contact: Elisabet Rodríguez.

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.emerging2011.com

14 June, Technical Day IFIP: Vers l’affichage environnemental, ISICA, 26 Rue de Montholon,

Paris, France.

Contact: IFIP - Institut du Porc.

Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 04 53 72

Fax : + 33 (0)1 40 04 53 77


Web: www.ifip.asso.fr

19-22 June, SafePork Conference 2011,

Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Tel: +31 (0)43 36 27 008

Fax: +31 (0)84 83 87 854


Web: www.safepork.org/home

21-23 June, Agri Vision 2011,

Beyond Boundaries, Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin,

Noordwijk-aan-Zee, the Netherlands.

Contact: Nutreco.

Web: www.agrivision.nu

13-16 Sept, SPACE, International Trade Fair for Livestock, Parc-Expo of Rennes Airport, Rennes,

France.

Contact: Anne-Marie Quéméner.

Tel: +33 (0)2 23 48 28 80

Fax: +33 (0)2 23 48 28 81


Web: www.space.fr

17-20 Sept, Allen D. Leman Swine Conference,

RiverCentre Conference Facility, St Paul,

Minnesota, USA. Contact: Alicia Johnson, College

of Veterinary Medicine.

Tel: +1 612 624 2268 or [email protected]

Web: www.cvm.umn.edu/outreach/events/adl/

home.html

22-23 Sept, Ildex Feed and Animal Health Forum 2011, National Convention Center, Hanoi,

Vietnam.

Contact: Minh Vi Exhibition & Advertisement

Services.

Tel: +84 8 3842 7755, ext: 13

Fax : +84 8 6293 6024


Web: www.ildex.com

28-30 Sept, Animal Farming 2011, Kiev

International Exhibition Centre (IEC), Kiev,

Ukraine.

Contact: BTO Exhibitions.

Tel: +31 55 534 11 40

Fax: +31 55 534 01 68


Web: www.animalfarming.com.ua

6-7 Oct, Sixth International Meat Secretariat (IMS) World Pork Conference, Maritim Hotel,

Bonn, Germany. Contact: Sonja Hentsch.

Tel: +49 (0)89 54 82 34 802

Fax: +49 (0)89 54 82 34 43


Web: www.worldporkconference.com

10-14 Oct, World Veterinary Congress, Cape

Town, South Africa.

Contact: Petrie Vogel.

Tel: +27 12 3460687

Fax: +27 12 3462929


Web: www.worldvetcongress2011.com

12-14 Oct, Landbouwvakbeurs, Brabanthallen,

‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.

Contact: Expo Management.

Tel: +31 546 546820

Fax: +31 546 546 821


Web: www.expo-management.nl

25-26 Oct, Svinekongres, Herning Congress

Center, Herning, Denmark.

Contact: Danish Pig Research Centre (VSP), part

of Landbrug & Fodevarer.

Tel: +45 33 39 40 00

Fax: +45 33 11 25 45


Web: www.pigresearchcentre.dk

2012

17-20 Jan, Banff Pork Seminar, University of

Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Contact: University of Alberta.

Tel: +1 780 492 3651

Fax: +1 780 492 5771


Web: www.banffpork.ca

8-9 Feb, Ildex Animal Health & Nutrition,

Queen Sirikit National Convention Center,

Bangkok, Thailand.

Contact: NCC Exhibition Organizer.

Tel: +66 2 203 4260 4

Fax: +66 2 203 42501

E-mail : [email protected]

Web: www.ildex.com

22-24 March, Ildex Vietnam 2012, The New

Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC),

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Contact: Minh Vi.

Tel: +84 8 3842 7755, ext: 13

Fax : +84 8 6293 6024


Web: www.ildex.com

10-13 June, International Pig Veterinary Society (IPVS) Congress, ICC, Jeju, South Korea.

Contact: IPVS 2012 Secretariat.

Tel: +82 2 3452 0507

Fax: +82 2 521 8683


Web: ipvs2012.kasv.or.kr/

13-16 June, 15th International Congress on Infectious Diseases (ICID), Bangkok, Thailand.

Contact: International Society for Infectious

Diseases (ISID).

Tel: +1 617 277 0551

Fax: +1 617 278 9113


Web: www.isid.org/15th_icid/

11PPR004_News 511PPR004_News 5 5/13/2011 2:21:30 PM5/13/2011 2:21:30 PM

6 PIG PROGRESS Volume 27, No. 4 2011

HealthHealth

www.PigProgress.net

Knowledge and control help fWhen animal suffering and destruction is numbered in

millions of heads; when the financial impact is

measured in billions of dollars; and where the social

and emotional costs are inordinately high – the quest to

improve control efforts and minimise the destructive

impacts of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) are worthy

priorities. At the recently held Asian Pig Veterinary

Society (APVS) Congress in Pattaya, Thailand, the

memory of the recent outbreak in South Korea was still

fresh – hence FMD control was as topical as ever.

By Sacha Seneque, BVSc, MACVSc, Merial, Australia

The ease and often ‘explosive’ spread, the direct losses incurred and the negative effect on market access or

trade impact, make Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) one of the most serious and important livestock diseases globally. Its significance in Asia is undoubtedly growing due to several factors, not the least being that:• the disease has greater negative effects

on growing populations of improved and more efficient production animals;

• there is greater risk of virus spread due to increased people movements and live-stock product trade;

• there is an increasing gap between developed and developing countries in this region.The result is that the world nowadays is

faced with a situation where increased populations of concentrated and highly susceptible animals are having greater risks of being exposed to FMD virus (FMDV).

FMDV (Aphtae epizooticae) is a highly variable and transmissible virus, usually capable of infecting a range of ruminants and swine. The virus has a discrete range of serotypes (seven are known to exist) and several subtypes, each with an ability

to continually evolve and mutate con-tributing to wide genetic and antigenic variation. Different host species (and even different breeds) may exhibit varying disease susceptibility during any prevailing outbreak/epizootic. Viral transmission occurs in many ways:- animal to animal (including through

semen and milk); - aerosol ‘wind borne’ spread; - by non-affected host animals

(including humans); - by animal products. - contaminated housing, material,

clothing, water, soil and inanimate objects (such as fodder and vehicles), as well other mechanical vectors.The epidemiology of FMD in Asia is

influenced by a combination of factors. This includes: a variation in the virus strain, the consistency of effective control measures and new strain introductions (originating from distant outbreaks that are transmitted via ani-mal movement or other mechanisms) to susceptible populations.

Seasonal and cyclic periods of increased disease prevalence are observed, suggesting that there are factors that favour periods of increased

transmission or host susceptibility that predispose epizootic risk. The following is an attempted summary of the prevailing state of play in Asia.

Distribution of FMD virusesToday, serotypes O, A & Asia 1 are considered endemic in one or more of the FMD affected countries in Asia, with Type C having last been reported in the Philippines in 1995. Although in recent years there has been a general increase in disease reporting transparency, field surveillance, outbreak investigation and field isolate studies, the submission of virus samples for processing and analy-sis by central reference bodies such as the World Reference Laboratory (WRL) or South East Asian Regional Reference Laboratory (RRL) have been irregular. Consequently available information may not be comprehensive or complete.

Serotype OOver the past 15 years, there have been three distinct groupings (‘topotypes’ or ‘lineages’) of Type O identified in Asia. They are South East Asia (SEA), pan-Asia, and Cathay (‘pig-adapted’) strains. Subfamilies exist for both the

Foot-and-Mouth Disease is feared by many countries in the world. Stamping out the disease, like here in South Korea recently, usually costs millions. (Photo: Merial/Associated Press)

11PPR004_FMD 611PPR004_FMD 6 5/12/2011 12:35:43 PM5/12/2011 12:35:43 PM


HealthHealth

www.PigProgress.net

fight Foot-and-Mouth in AsiaSEA and pan-Asia topotypes. In recent years, Type O strains have been responsible for the most severe epidem-ics experienced in Asia: Cathay lineages in the Philippines ’94, and Taiwan ’97; Asian/UK epizootics of O pan-Asia in 2000/01; and SEA lineage in Indochina ’97 and more recently Hong Kong, Japan, Korea ’09/10.

Serotype AIs potentially the most variable of all the FMD serotypes, and although historically outbreaks have occurred in many Asian countries, they are more common in Thailand and Malaysia where endemic virus circulation in ruminant populations is likely to occur. Recent outbreaks are restricted to the SEA topotype which has exhibited some antigenic drift. The most recent epidemic occurred in ’09/’10 and included a disease incursion into then FMD free South Korea which was suc-cessfully controlled. Ongoing vigilance for new A strains introductions or strain variants is important due to relatively higher risk of antigenic changes/differ-ences being encountered.

Serotype Asia 1Is the most antigenically stable of the three endemic serotypes and has been shown to exhibit relatively low levels of antigenic variation however is still capable of antigenic drift. Various his-torical epizootics have been reported, mainly affecting some South East Asian countries. Cases appear to have a cyclical prevalence pattern, with the most recent epizootic affecting the SEA and Greater China geographies in the 2004-2006 period.

Virus spreadIt is accepted that the most important endemic mechanism of virus spread in Indochina countries is by live animal movement, both within disease affect-ed countries and across borders. This is largely driven by the economics of trade. Cattle, buffalo or pig movements are the source (or implicated) in most

cases, and well documented trading patterns that reflect local demand have a high correlation to outbreak risk factors and disease ‘hotspots’ in the Indochina region.

Although not definitive, there are instances where genetic analysis of outbreak isolates has implicated ani-mal products (meat) as the likely source of new strain introductions into this region, and between countries. In the absence of other possible sources, the many bio-security failures observed over recent years suggests that people have been responsible for transferring FMD between farms; this may prove to be an important and underestimated transmission risk within this region. The long-distance spread of FMD on the wind doesn’t appear to be an important source of transmission, although aerosol transmission in cases of neighbouring farm-to-farm spread is likely, especially in areas of high ani-mal densities where pigs are involved.

Country statusNational veterinary service prioritisa-tions, control activities and prevailing needs are broadly related to country or zone FMD status. These can be distinctly grouped:

FMD free countriesMost enjoy the benefits of maintaining such a status, however as they can have large populations of naïve live-stock (i.e. vaccination is not routinely practiced), the potential impact of a large or lasting disease incursion on animal populations, the society and fis-cally can be very significant. Primary challenges are on reducing disease introduction risks, and ongoing ‘peace time’ development of appropriate incursion response preparedness and veterinary service capabilities. Attention is paid to: required regulatory and legal framework which facilitates quick and efficient disease identification and appropriate control responses; and the subsequent FMDV eradication valida-tions that would be required to regain

official Disease Free status, in the event of an outbreak.

FMD endemic countriesThere can be two general groupings: • Countries where commercial live-

stock sectors and external trade opportunities are not well developed, veterinary services may be weak and FMD cases not uncommon. Locally, economic justification for the invest-ments required for comprehensive FMD control can be poor. Often solu-tions fail due to significant limitations in resources, infrastructure or lack of

Table 1. Distribution of FMD serotypes in South East Asia. Countries detached from the mainland are FMD-free, e.g. Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore, but also non-mainland Malaysia.

Country 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010Cambodia ? O O O, A O, A O, A O OIndonesia No outbreak »Lao PDR O, A O O A O, A O O OMalaysia O, A O, A O O, A O O, A O OMyanmar O O O, Asia 1 O O O O O, APhilippines O O O No outbreak »Thailand O, A O, A O, A O, A O, A O, A O, A OVietnam O O, A O, A, O, A O, A, O O, A O, A Asia 1 Asia 1Source: Abila and Kalpravidh, Proceedings of APVS 2011

Free ZoneInfected ZoneBuffer ZoneControl ZoneEradication Zone

Figure 1. Zones of attention for the control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in South East Asia. Essentially four regions have been identified for intensive control: South Thailand/Northern Malaysia, central Myanmar, South Vietnam/Cambodia and North Vietnam/Laos.



HealthHealth

www.PigProgress.net

political stability (as may occur in areas of conflict) or will. These may need to be secured before embarking on significant disease control initiatives which could be considered feasible or worthwhile.

• Countries that have well developed commercial sectors with interests in securing and developing the consid-erable premium trade opportunities present with increased market access. Veterinary service capabili-ties are usually well developed, FMD control initiatives are already in place, and economic justification at a national level supports transition from comprehensive FMD control to a disease eradication phase. Primary control challenges are decreasing or maintaining low levels of endemic FMD cases and effectively controlling any epizootics; supporting evidence or risk based control initiatives; and building capabilities that support transition to successful and sustaina-ble FMD eradication.

VaccinationAs a part of disease prophylaxis, vac-cines are recognised as an important tool and play an increasingly important role in FMD control both endemic and non-endemic settings. Use of vaccines that achieve relevant ‘herd immunity’ levels of >80% in susceptible animal populations are the basis of virus transmission and disease reductions necessary to effectively aid outbreak control. Dramatic and almost complete reductions in FMD prevalence are con-sistently observed when appropriate vaccines are correctly employed as part of comprehensive control initia-tives. This is the case in both disease endemic settings or when used strate-gically as an aid to outbreak control and eradication efforts. In endemic countries, FMD vaccines are often reg-ulated to aid vaccination compliance aims and to ensure appropriate quality vaccines are used. Decreases in national FMD outbreak rates are gener-ally correlated to increases in national herd vaccination coverage.

In Asia’s endemic countries, available FMD vaccines are routinely used in the vast majority of commercial herds (usually at the producer motivation and expense), and today more than 95% of pigs in commercial production settings are vaccinated. National animal health bodies use several mechanisms to increase overall national herd vaccina-tion coverage, they include implementa-

tion of: mandatory vaccination; vaccine subsidies; and mass vaccination initia-tives that target small land holder ani-mal populations, specific host species or strategic ‘high risk’ geographies.

Having said this, the approach to vaccination as a control tool is not uniform between countries and the role and use of vaccines varies. Even when routinely used, there is a wide range in vaccination rates being achieved in susceptible populations between different disease endemic countries.

In FMD free countries, routine use of FMD vaccination is banned (in compli-ance with OIE disease free status requirements). However many (but not all) disease free countries have estab-lished contingency plans that include provisions for strategic emergency vaccine use in the unfortunate case of disease incursion. To help assure time-ly availability of vaccines, strategic vaccine or cryostored FMD Ag Bank inventories are maintained, and relevant service/supply agreements made with vaccine providers.

FMD vaccine limitations exist; vacci-nation with one FMD serotype does not confer cross-protection against other serotypes; additionally vaccine efficacy may vary between isolates of the same FMD serotype if antigenic diversity is great. Current vaccine technology has played a central role in successful FMD control and eradication in Asia and globally continued improvements in vaccine quality and services are being made, and research into new technolo-gies explored in the ongoing quest to deliver more effective vaccine tools and alternatives. Understanding and mitigat-ing limitations and utilising available disease control tools appropriately are important in the context of Asian endemic and disease-free situations.

Use of appropriately matched vaccine strains (be they homologous or heterol-ogous), relevant to prevailing field epi-demiology, and formulation of fit-for-purpose vaccines has been used to great advantage in Asia. In this respect, the ongoing activities and collabora-tions between national veterinary serv-ices and regulatory bodies, vaccine manufacturers, and independent bodies are playing vital roles to ensure ade-quate supply of vaccines (see box). PP

One FMD controlstrategy for SE AsiaBy Ronello Abila, OIE South East Asia, Bangkok, Thailand; and Wantanee Kalpravidh, Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases, Bangkok, Thailand

Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is critical to meet

development objectives such as food security, poverty alleviation and

facilitation of trade in South East Asia. Therefore, the South East Foot

and Mouth Disease (SEAFMD) campaign was launched in 1997 to coor-

dinate a subregional control of FMD. Being a transboundary animal

disease, control of FMD needs close collaboration among neighbouring

countries and the involvement of relevant stakeholders such as farmers

and livestock traders. In 2010, China joined the campaign renaming it

to South East Asia and China Foot and Mouth Disease (SEACFMD)

campaign. To provide long-term guidance to the campaign, a Roadmap

2020 was launched in 2007. That time, the main strategy was the

implementation of a progressive zoning approach to ensure effective

use of limited resources from the donors and national governments.

The campaign members reported varied reasons on the origins of each

outbreak and the possible factors involved in the transmission. For

Cambodia and Laos, the sources of outbreaks are unknown. In Malaysia

and Vietnam it’s mainly due to illegal movement, while in Myanmar

it’s due to contact with infected grazing/watering areas. In Thailand

it’s mainly due to animal movement.

Control measuresSeveral other steps are taken to strengthen FMD control:

• Having a professional coordination of animal health activities

between countries. A coordination unit is based in Bangkok.

• The campaign had a Epidemiology Network (EpiNet) and a Laboratory

Network (LabNet) established to provide technical support to enhance

member countries’ capacity for effective surveillance and diagnosis.

• The campaign has initiated several studies, in collaboration with

partner organisations, to identify risk pathways and critical nodes

along the livestock movement, apply social network and stakeholder

analysis to identify key players along the pathways, and come up

with regulatory and non-regulatory recommendations to reduce risks.

• Vaccination is recognised as an important tool, but resource deficit

in countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, cause very limited

access to good quality vaccines.

• Communication and public awareness campaigns are essential

components for effective control of FMD to ensure public support and

political commitment from the government.

• Continued political commitment, coupled with proper allocation of

needed resources from each member country.


The all-in-one solutionfor modern pig production.

With BigFarmNet, we will be making the life of the pig producer much easier.

Imagine that all controllers, computers and sensors on your farm are able to

communicate and you could control and manage your entire farm with one

single program for all applications: be it feeding or climate, be it just one house

or an entire farm complex – all from your Windows PC, or our new »717« or even

your iPhone. BigFarmNet the all-in-one solution for your farm.

Wouldn’t that be nice?

Experience BigFarmNet: www.bigdutchman.com

BigFarmNet on YouTube:Download the free i-nigma software from your i-nigma software from your i-nigmaApp-Store, scan the bar code, enjoy the film!

@ www.virocid.com

Bioprotexion BoxVIROCID® is part of the Bioprotexion Box by CID LINES, a program to ensure food safety on your farm and to increase your benefits.

VIROCID®

The most powerful disinfectant! most effective disinfectant worldwide proven efficacy

(EN, AOAC and DEFRA)

recommended in case of emergency disease control

Increase your benefits by protecting your livestock

www.PigProgress.net

PIG PROGRESS Volume 27, No. 4 2011 11www.PigProgress.net

Column

http://www.

More opinions and discussions can be viewed at www.PigProgress.net/weblog/

Reading a Nadis Health Bulletin about the subject of crushing, recently issued by BPEX in the UK, encouraged me to look through the pig textbooks on my shelves to see what they said about it. After all, Nadis reported that of losses to weaning reaching 12.45% on some farms, 6.66% were due to crushing. That caught my attention straightaway.Several textbooks dealt with the subject,

but rather superficially to my mind. So I turned to the veterinary tomes – to my surprise they were not much better.

A confessionOh dear! I have not sufficiently covered crushing in my latest 600-page pig textbook – which should be in the bookshops soon. I should have done, as the problem seems a big one. A quick look through the subject seems therefore in order.There are a host of reasons why piglets at and around suckling get overlain/trodden-on/kicked sideways. One cause must come high on the list, which none – not one, of the textbooks mention. It must surely be…

Not being there at farrowing Of course not everyone can make provision for this, even though the use of prostaglandins/oxytocin (applied correctly) helps considerably. Looking in my files, I see I have some before-and-after figures whose average suggests a reduction of 11% mortality to weaning to 8.5 % (1.24 piglets per litter down to 0.96 lost, or well over half a piglet more weaned sow/year). The manufacturers claim rather more than this.A few clients recently said that stillbirths rose slightly but this could be due to incorrect use – i.e. timing getting out of kilter. Pig-specialist veterinary supervision for the first few weeks of product use is a wise precaution, especially if oxytocin is used to ‘hurry-up’ those sows ‘holding off’ towards the end of the day shift. But I digress.

These larger sowsWith the 240 days/135+ kg advice at first service catching on, these larger gilts of course become bigger sows later on. (By the way, don’t worry too much about the increased maintenance demand for food, as this is comfortably outweighed in economic terms by a much longer productive life).I’ve been measuring farrowing crates at all the expos I visit and it

seems that the industry is but slowly moving to bigger farrowing crates – some firms not at all, as two have not changed dimensions since 2003. Since then, a fourth parity sow could be 600 mm wider, 1,000 mm longer and 15 kg heavier at farrowing. Manufactures should bear this in mind

and maybe think outside this particular box with variable-geometry designs – and the applied researchers could well look at the subject as well? On our Deans Grove farm we had smaller ‘gilt crates’ for young farrowers, which in those days were some 15-20 kg lighter at farrowing than they are today.

Bigger litters tooThanks to genetic progress in the last decade, litters of 15 are not unusual. But birthing the litters of 13 or 15 piglets can take 20 minutes longer than the ones with 10 or 11 piglets we got eight years ago. Remember what the late Dr Peter English told us: “A piglet starts to die as soon as the birth process commences.” The tail-enders, starved of blood oxygen while waiting in the birth canal, arrive anoxic, therefore lethargic and slow to move out of harm’s way. As litter size increases, that is why being there at farrowing helps these last arrivals.

Primary and secondary crushingThe veterinary textbooks mention the above. Maybe semantics – but you should be aware of what they mean. ‘Primary overlaying’ is defined as affecting perfectly healthy piglets caused mainly by the sow, see Table 1. ‘Secondary overlaying’ occurs when the problem lies mainly with the piglets themselves, see Table 2.

And the likely cost of overlaying?Nadis, through veterinarian Mark White has estimated this, saying that if the marginal cost of a newborn pig is £35 (in the UK; slightly less, about €40 in Europe) and based on as many as 0.66 pigs lost to crushing, this is a financial loss of 760 pigs to a 500-sow herd – which I suggest approaches €30,000. But I leave you to calculate your own figure; you will find it substantial. White claims this can be reduced by 60% – I calculate saving €36/sow/year. PP

John Gadd: “The tail-enders, starved of oxygen while waiting in the birth canal, are slow to move out of harm’s way.”

What the textbooks don’t tell you about…Crushing

* Overweight sows

* Poor flooring and slippery floors

* Crates too small

* Smaller (i.e. younger) sows having too much room

* Temperament: Over-excited sows at feeding time

* Genetics? (i.e. clumsy sows)

Table 1. Causes of primary overlaying.

* Anoxic piglets

* Chilled piglets (piglets not dried off/cold surroundings/draughts)

* Creep areas too hot – piglets move to the cooler ‘danger area’ at the rear of the sow

* Insufficient colostrum intake (100 ml within an hour of birth)

* Restricted mobility - sore feet, scuffed knees, joint ill etc.

* Digestive upset/scour

Table 2. Causes of secondary overlaying.

11PPR004_Column 1111PPR004_Column 11 5/12/2011 11:10:37 AM5/12/2011 11:10:37 AM


ReviewReview

www.PigProgress.net

APVS Congress gives update on highly pathogenic PRRS Highly Pathogenic PRRS swept across China

and South East Asia over the last couple of

years. Thus, the disease has been studied

extensively recently. At the APVS Congress,

held in March, in Thailand, answers were given

and some new questions were raised.

By Vincent ter Beek

Apart from the recent Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks, there was one other current disease

that received a lot of attention at the recent Asian Pig Veterinary Society (APVS) Congress, held in Pattaya, Thailand: Highly pathogenic PRRS (HP-PRRS).

Several presentations were held on the theme, which has been fascinating veterinary scientists, in order to gain more understand-ing on the topic. Some of these discussions evidently echo those around clearly defining disease patterns of PCV2 – e.g. PMWS and PCVAD, from a couple of years ago. Is it simply a new strain, is there an external trig-ger – and how should it be classified?

Going back a couple of years, the first recording of its devastating effect was men-tioned in China, in April 2006. In Jiangsu province, small- and middle size pig farms

reported ‘swine high fever disease’. Causing high morbidity and mortality in pigs, PRRS was suspected, but not con-firmed. Spreading rapidly throughout the country, the infection had a massive effect on Chinese pig production – leading to extremely high pork prices and inflation. As could be expected, the disease did not stop at China’s borders, but many countries in east and South East Asia were infected.

StrainSome years ago, it was discovered that the atypical PRRS virus strains responsi-ble for creating Porcine High Fever Syndrome or highly-pathogenic PRRS, belongs to the North American genotype. What all HP-PRRSV (PRRS virus) strains have in common is that one fraction in their gene is missing, usually referred to by veterinarian scientists as ‘a unique discontinuous deletion of 30 amino acids in Non-Structural Protein 2 (NSP2)’.

Now the question is – has the cause of the virulence thus been discovered? Are these ‘deletions’ causing this

strain to be virulent? Dr Roongroje Thanawongnuwech, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, addressed this par-ticular question in his keynote lecture at the APVS Congress, when referring to research by Zhou and others in 2009. He said, “Although deletions in the NSP2 gene have previously been related to increased virulence of this particular HP-PRRSV strain, no virulence relation has been shown. It should be noted that only an in vivo study is able to differen-tiate PRRSV virulence among strains.”

The deletion may have a synergistic effect in cooperation with other virus strains, he suggested. “A novel nucle-otide deletion in NSP2 found in those Chinese isolates, initially linked to the virulence of the virus, may possibly attribute to a combination of HP-PRRS and other complicated pathogens such as Classical Swine Fever virus (CSFV), Porcine Circovirus (PCV2) and proba-bly other additional agents.”

A similar conclusion was drawn by Dr Michihiro Takagi, from the Japanese National Institute of Animal Health, in Tsukuba. His team aimed to recreate

APVS Congress celebrates its fifth edition

The biannual Asian Pig Veterinary Society

(APVS) Congress had its fifth edition in

Pattaya, Thailand and was themed ‘A

healthy pig for a healthy life’. In total 850

participants from 23 countries attended the

three-day event, held from 7-9 March, just

prior to the VIV Asia in Bangkok, and also

co-sponsored by Thai agrobusinesses

Charoen Pokphand and Betagro. All in all,

73 oral papers were presented and 149 poster presentations. The event was opened by Theera

Wongsamut, minister of agriculture for Thailand. The APVS’ six member states (South Korea,

Philippines, China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam) then followed, explaining their respective

developments with regard to porcine health. Elsewhere in this edition of Pig Progress, attention is

paid to what was said about Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD). The next edition of the APVS

Congress will take place in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 6-8 November, 2013.

Dr Roongroje Thanawongnuwech: “A nucleotide deletion may play a role in the combination of HP-PRRS with other pathogens like CSFV and PCV2.”

11PPR004_APVS 1211PPR004_APVS 12 5/12/2011 10:39:43 AM5/12/2011 10:39:43 AM

ReviewReview

Porcine High Fever Disease in 22 naïve and SPF-free pigs, using Vietnamese strains of the virus. Result – the pigs did indeed develop high fever – as the name suggests; all but one, however, lived. This did not match earlier results carried out with Chinese strains.

Hence, Dr Takagi concluded: “These results show the Vietnamese PRRSV isolates from 2007 and 2010 cause the highly virulent disease compared to classical PRRS. However, the high mortality in weaning pigs reported by the experimental infection with the Chinese PRRSV isolate, was not observed in this similar experiment. This suggests that the high mortality of pigs in Vietnam might be caused by other pathogens, with PRRSV as a major factor.”

VietnamThe distribution of highly pathogenic PRRS is a topic that needs par-ticular addressing anyway, as the outbreaks of HP-PRRS in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia caused some further question marks. Dr Nguyen Tung, associated with the Vietnamese National Center for Veterinary Diagnosis in Hanoi, followed, observed and analysed HP-PRRS out-breaks in these countries and found some remarkable patterns.

Tung explained that the first occurrence of the HP-PRRS virus in Vietnam, is documented to have happened in March 2007. The team isolated and collected virus samples from a total of 213 cases ever since and found that essentially two different types of HP-PRRS have been present in the country. One was called the 2007 virus – as it had been responsible for the first outbreak; and the other, as it struck last year, the 2010 virus. Outbreaks in 2008 and 2009 were less severe and turned out to be varieties of the 2007 virus.

Virus presence puzzled the team, however. Tung said he and his team found that in southern Vietnam (and neighbouring Cambodia), nowa-days both strains can be found – in other words, the 2007 and 2010 type coexist. Oddly enough, in northern Vietnam and neighbouring Laos (and even one case in northern Thailand), the 2007 strain appears to have completely disappeared with the arrival of the 2010 strain – see Figure 1. Tung said it is not known how to explain this difference. PP

Figure 1. Spread of the HP-PRRS virus in Vietnam, 2007-2010. Group A is the 2007 virus, group B the 2010 virus and group C, D and E are ‘small but distinct geno-groups’.

Source: Nguyen Tung,

Molecular Epidemiology of

HP-PRRS in Vietnam in 2010

(APVS Congress, 2011).

EVOTECK

The company Evoteck s.r.l.acquired the “Pedercini Impianti International s.r.l.”

and now it is the Producer of the celebrated“Soft coated slat Pedercini”.

The “soft coated slat Pedercini” is by its own nature:

Self-supportingStable and practical Tailored on demand

The best solution in terms of animal comfortResistant to corrosive agents Durable in the time

Producible with accessories for heatingUnder the sow isle produciblein diagonal or straight position

Evoteck s.r.l.Workstation and seat: Via San Pietro, 3 26030 GABBIONETA BINANUOVA (CR)

Tel: +39 0372 84 30 54 - Fax: +39 0372 84 30 53www.evoteck.it - Mail: [email protected]

Looking for distributors!

China

Laos

Thailand

Cambodia

Group AGroup BGroup C,D,E

11PPR004_APVS 1311PPR004_APVS 13 5/12/2011 10:39:44 AM5/12/2011 10:39:44 AM


Farm visitFarm visit

www.PigProgress.net

1

3

Generating as much renewablThailand’s Ratchaburi province is one of the

main regions for pig production in the country.

It has ample sources for raw materials and with

the large market of Bangkok close by, the area

offers every opportunity a pig farmer could wish

for. SPM feed mill and pig farm moved into a

new dimension of renewable energy in an

attempt to remain cost-effective.

By Vincent ter Beek

Two large glass cupboards welcome any visitor who passes the threshold into the main building. An impressive

collection of trophies, pictures, awards, diplomas and charters are proudly displayed and gaze at every onlooker.

The owner of these prizes is not a successful Thai football club, however, but SPM Farms, located in Ratchaburi Province, about 1.5 hours’ drive west of Bangkok. The majority of the prizes have been won for the company’s effective use of biogas. For instance, the farm was awarded the second prize in the Asean Energy Awards in 2007 and won the National Innovation Award one year later for its system to generate use from biogas.

The use of biogas, however, is just one of the actions that managing director

Somchai Nitikanchana, has taken to make SPM a success. Not only are pigs the output of the farm – in total, Somchai makes a difference between nine types of products made at the farm. He smiles while he starts count-ing proudly: “Pigs; slurry for fertiliser; organic vegetables; bananas; moina water fleas as aquafeed; electricity; carbon credits; palm oil – and yes, also pig feed.”

Strong and weak pointsThe complex is a multisite facility, with 16,000 sows in total and an own feed mill – among the larger privately-owned operations in Thailand.

Owned by Somchai’s three children (hence S, P and M), SPM is the result of 20 years of work. Starting out as a small feed mill with limited pig produc-tion, it became a large business by both saving on production costs and focus-ing on renewable energy. Somchai says, “Every business has its strong and its weak points. The strong point of

the pig business in Thailand is that one can control production costs. The weak point is that we cannot control selling prices as they are controlled and fixed by the Thai Ministry of Agriculture.”

As from 1990, Somchai has been man-aging director and he developed a busi-ness in which the environment becomes key – and in which virtually every little bit of his animal waste is reused so that he saves on costs everywhere.

StartThe agribusiness complex consists of two main multisite locations, roughly 50 km apart from each other. In total 1,000 employees are working for SPM. Both locations consist of a breeder farm, a weaner farm and about three finishing complexes. At the main location, SPM has its own feed mill, which has a total capacity of 18,000 tonnes of feed/month – or over 200,000 tonnes of feed/year. About 50% is destined for SPM’s own pigs, the other 50% is sold, see picture 1.

Somchai Nitikanchana: “The strong point of the Thai pig business is that one can control production costs.”

11PPR004_Farm Visit 1411PPR004_Farm Visit 14 5/13/2011 2:25:44 PM5/13/2011 2:25:44 PM


Farm visitFarm visit

www.PigProgress.net

2

4

ble energy as possible

The total complex of SPM farms is populated by 16,000 sows, it has more than 100,000 finishing places and sells over 20,000 pigs/month to the market through brokers – this equals approxi-mately 300,000 pigs finished per year.

The finishing facility in the neighbour-hood of the feed mill has 22 buildings equipped with evaporative ventilation – but in fact, this site looks more like a vegetable garden with pig sheds in between. Only the familiar pig smell gives away it’s actually the other way round. Banana trees flank both sides of most finisher buildings, while in front of the buildings, most of the employees have areas where they can grow their own vegetables and fruits (picture 2).

The focus of this site is to create as much reusable energy as possible, Somchai explains. Manure is initially used for biogas production. The biogas is first and foremost used for reuse on the farm itself; any leftovers, especially in winter time when cooling down is not so necessary, can be sold to the

Provincial Electricity Authority. Figures show the difference – before installing the biogas system, this 22-building facility cost about 200,000 baht/month (€4,600) in electricity costs. Nowadays, costs are on average substantially less than 200,000 baht per three months and that is excluding any payback from the electricity authority (between 10,000 and 30,000 baht/month, depending on the season).

Leftovers from the biogas facility are being used as well, as they serve as fertilisers of the banana trees and veg-etable gardens. Waste water treatment will make sure that any water can be used for cleaning or feeding the crops.

Breeding siteGrowers (until 20 kg) are raised at a location not much further down the road, and the tour of the complex comes full circle as the breeding facility is locat-ed straight behind the feed mill, placed atmospherically around rice fields and a lake, see picture 3. Farm buildings are being knocked down here, as older types of sow buildings (open, with an elevated level, slurry being collected below) are gradually being replaced by novel ones. Picture 4 shows one of these older barns, with older sows, waiting to go to the slaughterhouse.

In the novel buildings, equipped with brand new farrowing crates, it’s on the

roof where the energy saving innovation is con-structed. Recently, solar panels have been placed there, with a connection to a nearby turbine. So-called ‘solar thermal energy’ will be used to warm up heated water beds in farrowing hous-es, to keep new-born piglets warm at a temperature of 40˚C. Rest energy from the biogas generators is used for the same pur-pose. It’s a project that has already generated quite some attention from local agricultural media. Last but not least – the future will bring more projects to save on production costs, Somchai says. Soon SPM will also start the cultivation of palm trees for palm oil production, using manure and water from the farm’s pigs. Sounds like another extra glass cupboard may soon be needed near the entrance. PP

For more pictures of this farm visit, please visit www.pigprogress.net/photos

Energy-saving measures

SPM feed mill and pig farm Sow numbers: 16,000Finished pigs/year: 300,000Slaughterweight: 100-105 kg (lw)Piglets weaned/sow/year: 22-24Weaning age: 24 daysAverage Daily Gain (20-100 kg): 700 gFeed Conversion Rate (20-100 kg): 2.7-2.8Dam line: Large White, LandraceSire line: Duroc, PiétrainVaccination: CSF, FMD, Aujeszky’s Disease, App (sometimes), treatments to various forms of diarrhoeaAntibiotics: sometimes, depends on situation.

Biogas installations.

Growing vegetables.

Sun-drying of manure for use on the fields.

Solar panels.

11PPR004_Farm Visit 1511PPR004_Farm Visit 15 5/13/2011 2:25:50 PM5/13/2011 2:25:50 PM


ReviewReview

www.PigProgress.net

Asia: Where pathogens VIV Asia 2011 was a show with a vibrant

atmosphere that has never been seen before.

The South East Asian pig industries are

skyrocketing, especially in Vietnam and China

where strong growth figures can be noted.

Since more pigs also means increased disease

pressure, all major pig producing countries in

the Far East have recently stepped up their

vaccination programmes and emphasised

biosecurity. What is happening where?

By Vincent ter Beek

If the success of VIV Asia is a good indicator to assess the strength of the Asian livestock business, it helps to take a closer look at the figures of this year’s edition of the trade

show, held in Bangkok, Thailand, 9-11 March. Considered a great success, the show attracted a record number of 28,978 visitors. The total figure was a massive increase of 39% on the previous show in 2009 (20,831). Analysis showed that 56% of the visitor numbers came from abroad (16,264) and 12,714 were from Thailand. The list of the top 10 visitor countries was topped by India, followed by Vietnam and the Philippines. Interest from China is also constantly on the rise and countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka now feature among the top 10. As expected, visitor growth from South Korea and Japan was lower. Of the 682 exhibitors at VIV Asia 2011, 246 were there for the first time. Most of the newcomers operate in the feed milling equipment, feed ingredient and animal health sectors. The next edition of VIV Asia will be held 13-15 March, 2013. One third of the 2011 exhibitors have already put their names down for this edition.

Rabobank’s ten year outlook Kicking off VIV Asia, David C. Nelson, global strategist, Animal Protein, Grains and Oil Seeds at Rabobank, attempt-ed to paint a picture of the next ten years concerning global agriculture, using the topic ‘Focus 2021’.

Feed prices will remain high, Nelson said, as yield improve-ments are decelerating and the challenge remains to service growing markets. One of the countries that could well profit

ChinaPork production figures for China are simply staggering. According to recent FAO figures, China accounts for 46.9% of the world’s pork production with 49,879 million tonnes. The 2009 pig inventory was 454 million animals; with total numbers of slaughterings amounting to 650 million – up 30 million from 2008. Still, the majority of China’s pigs (estimated at 70-80%) are produced in backyards. This production model is considered very vulnerable for disease outbreaks. Recent outbreaks, including PRRS, affected the total pig population and sharply elevated pork prices. Highly pathogenic PRRS outbreaks, since 2006, have been observed to coincide with Streptococcus suis, App and Glässer’s Disease, making them more difficult to diagnose and prevent. Several vaccines against PCV2 are available on the market; vaccination against Classical Swine Fever (hog cholera) and HP-PRRS are free; vaccination is required by the Chinese government.

VietnamWith pork being the main type of meat in Vietnam, the country’s national pig herd numbers for the year 2009 amounted to 27.5 million – a rise from 34% when compared to 2000. Over the last few years (as from 2007), the country’s pig numbers have been fluctuating slightly. About 80% of the country’s pigs are kept by small scale holders, where disease transmission is easy. Like in China, highly pathogenic PRRS is one of the country’s most dangerous pathogens, hitting the country hard in 2007 and 2010, together with co-infections with e.g. Strep suis. Foot-and-Mouth Disease was not so much of a problem for pigs as it was for cattle and buffaloes. Classical Swine Fever has been endemic in Vietnam; despite national vaccination campaigns outbreaks keep occurring.

PhilippinesTotal pig numbers amounted to 13.4 million at the beginning of 2010 – coming down from 13.6 million one year earlier. Commercial production accounted for 29% of the swine population; about 71% was still raised in backyard production. Sow numbers however were estimated to be 1.67 million, about 12.5% of the total swine invento-ry. Numbers of sows were expected to decrease until the second quarter of 2011. In the Philippines, PCV2, PRRS and Classical Swine Fever play a major part in the confirmed porcine viral diseases, especially in northern areas which suffered from PRRS outbreaks in 2009. Nowadays the Philippine government is subsidising vaccinations. The last outbreak of FMD was recorded in 2005 – and the country stopped vaccinating in 2009. There is hope that the Philippines can be declared FMD-free in 2011 – aiming to become a pig and pork exporting country.

11PPR004_ASIA 1611PPR004_ASIA 16 5/13/2011 2:24:06 PM5/13/2011 2:24:06 PM


ReviewReview

www.PigProgress.net

profits and meet

from this growth could be Brazil, he said. The country had, however, increased its total surface of planted crops by a mere 1% in 2010-2011. Input costs, fertiliser prices, land prices and an unfavourable currency were named as reasons why the mes-sage to grow more crops in Brazil was not yet taken up. Nelson also compared Brazil’s Mato Grosso province to the Black Sea region in Ukraine/Russia. Both have high potential, but are rela-tively landlocked and badly reachable – hence high transport costs need to be added to relatively low costs of cultivation.

At the moment, JBS, Tyson and Smithfield top the ranks of largest meat producers in the world. These companies will be challenged, Nelson mentioned. The last couple of years already saw the rise of the Brazilian conglomerates, and the size of Russian (e.g. Cherkizovo) and Chinese (e.g. Zhongpin) integrators is growing rapidly.

Russia’s official policy is to become self-sufficient in protein production, i.e. domestic production will meet domestic demand. Nelson expected Russia to be at 85% in 2015 and at 95% in 2020. “What this means? All meat exporting countries have to find new markets!”

The Chinese market, with approximately 50% of the world’s pigs, may face a shortage of corn stocks and will soon need to import. Official figures may draw a somewhat overly optimistic picture, Nelson said: “China’s corn supplies appear to be desperately low.” He therefore expected strong grain imports in the years to come.

See the boxes in this article for a closer look into the cur-rent status of pig production in the six major pig producing countries in Asia – and see where they are heading. PP

This report has been made possible using the information supplied by six speakers at the Asian Pig Veterinary Society (APVS) Congress: Dr He Qigai (China), Dr Tran Thi Dan (Vietnam), Dr Zoilo M. Lapus (Philippines), Dr Jung Sung-Dae (South Korea), Dr Hirochimi Ishikawa (Japan), Dr Wimolporn Thitisak (Thailand).

The 2011 edition of VIV Asia was the busiest ever.

South KoreaAt the end of 2010, the total number of pigs was 9,883,000 with sows accounting for 904,000. In total 7,000 farms had an average of 1,200 pigs. Slaughter numbers amounted to 13,597,000, at an average weight of 110 kg. A recent Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak (from November 2010 with new outbreaks still occasionally occurring at the time of printing) reduced pig numbers to 6,88 million – in other words, about one third disappeared. Plans for eradicating both Classical Swine Fever and also FMD are in progress. Most coinfections in the last five years were reported to be coming from either PCV2 and PRRS or PCV2 and M.hyo.

JapanIn 2009, Japan counted 7,230 pig farms. The total number of pigs reared was 9,745,000 including 910,000 sows. Total pig numbers have been stable over the last years, but the number of farms is still decreasing. For about 15 years, the country has not been self-sufficient (nowadays 75%) and has to import to meet domestic demand for pork. In 2009, Japan imported 691,000 million tonnes of pork, the majority coming from the USA, Canada and Denmark. Japan vaccinates its pigs against both PRRS and PCV2, although PRRS continues to be a nuisance with outbreaks in 2010. The country has some impressive plans to deal with Aujeszky’s Disease – as an AD-free status is aimed for by 2012. Classical Swine Fever has not been reported since 2007. As for Foot-and-Mouth Disease, the prefect of Miyazaki was hit between April and August, resulting in 292 farms being affected and leading to the destruction of 220,000 pigs.

ThailandThailand offers plenty of opportunities for pig production. Since Foot-and-Mouth Disease continues to be endemic in Thailand however, fresh meat exporting opportunities are limited. In 2010, a total of 541 million tonnes was exported to mainly Hong Kong (67%) and Malaysia (33%). Exports of cooked pork products therefore, do well. A total of 12,319 million tonnes were exported, mainly to Japan (>98%). Still, total pig numbers went down last year – to 8.3 million. In the central area of the country, accounting for over 54% of the total pig population of Thailand, the total pig inventory went down by 3.25% in comparison to 2009. In the southern part of the country, even a 20% decrease could be noted. In 2010, in total of 54 outbreaks of PRRS were recorded (among which, one of HP-PRRS, in August), nine of Classical Swine Fever and one of Swine Influenza. The Department of Livestock Development (DLD) reported that now 148 farms officially have a FMD-free status.

11PPR004_ASIA 1711PPR004_ASIA 17 5/13/2011 2:24:07 PM5/13/2011 2:24:07 PM


BreedingBreeding

www.PigProgress.net

Beating heat stress by choosing the right sowModern breeding sows are highly productive,

but there is still potential to achieve even better

results for reproduction. These targets can be

made by selecting lines that are particularly

robust and which will perform well under a

range of environmental conditions.

By Saskia Bloemhof, Topigs Research, the Netherlands

Reproductive performance in sow lines is affected by several factors. Only 1-3% of the total variation in sow

fertility shown by differences between farm-month averages is due to service sire effects. Genetics account for about 8%. In addition, influences from parity, lactation length and nutrition need to be considered. Topigs found that some 10% of fertility vari-ation may be explained by the environmen-tal aspects relating to farm management and factors such as the season of the year.

Evaluation showed that seasonal effects also affect the reproductive performance of Topigs’ sow lines in Spain and Portugal. Data from 19,359 sows on 28 breeding farms revealed an increase of almost one piglet per insemination from 2005 to 2007. However, a seasonal decrease in results during summer and early autumn could be seen in all three years. The highest number of piglets born per first insemi-nation came from sows inseminated in December.

Seasons obviously differ in terms of temperature as well as in daylight hours. One of the challenges for pig production in Spain and Portugal and other countries with warmer climates is related to higher temperatures in parts of the year. Heat stress is a limiting factor, especially for production in these conditions.

Literature and pig farming handbooks indicate that sows are exposed to heat stress when the temperature exceeds 20°C, which is the upper critical temperature of a sow’s thermo-neutral

zone. It is known that heat stress decreases the expression of oestrus behaviour and also alters the way in which ovarian follicles develop; it also compromises oocyte competence and inhibits embryonic development.

CoolingManagement practices such as cooling offer one way of protecting perform-ance during hot seasons. An alternative is to select animals for increased heat tolerance. This selection approach has the advantage that the changes in the genetic composition of the pig popula-tion are permanent. Compared with the use of cooling, it is also more sustaina-ble in terms of its impact on the earth’s resources. To investigate the selection possibility in more detail, the Topigs R&D department conducted a study with the aim of estimating the genetic variation in heat tolerance expressed in reproductive traits.

A previous analysis of data from 11,935 sows on 20 farms in Spain, collected from 2003 to 2005, had shown a huge effect of heat stress on farrowing rate and litter size, but also a clear difference between the two sow lines represented. These lines were a Dutch Yorkshire line (DY) used mainly for production in temperate climates and an international Large White line (ILW) producing mostly in warm climates, with their reciprocal crosses.

According to that analysis, the temperature on the day of insemination affected the litter size of ILW-line sows but not their farrowing rate. In contrast, both traits were affected linearly by temperature for the DY-line sows. Another difference was that the decrease in reproductive performance with increasing outside temperature was greater in the DY line than in the ILW line. The result was that, above 22°C, ILW-line sows had a higher

Sows with piglets at a farm in Aragón in the north of Spain.

11PPR004_SOW 1811PPR004_SOW 18 5/12/2011 2:00:33 PM5/12/2011 2:00:33 PM

BreedingBreeding

www.PigProgress.net

reproductive performance than DY-line sows. A first trait affected by heat stress could be farrowing rate, so our next study of sows originating from the same two purebred lines also looked at their farrowing rate as well as litter size according to the maximum outside temperature on the day of insemina-tion. Temperature again had an appar-ent effect – it seemed that inseminating on a day of 30°C might result in 0.4 fewer piglets per insemination.

DifferencesOnce more, however, important differ-ences were found in the relationship between temperature and reproductive traits in the two genetically different sow lines. One of the lines showed no influence of temperature on perform-ance, whereas the other suffered a decrease equivalent to 0.1 piglets per degree Celsius rise in temperature. Apparently, therefore, the lines differed in their genetic ability to tolerate heat stress as measured by the differences in reproductive performance. This was valuable information from our point of view, not least because of its indication that there might be a genetic component of heat stress tolerance.

Our estimates of heritability as part of the same study reinforced the idea that genetic selection on sow heat stress tolerance may be possible. The R&D team found large differences in herita-bility between the sow lines. At 10ºC above the sow’s upper critical tempera-ture, the heritability of heat tolerance with regard to farrowing rate was 0.06 for line DY, but only 0.02 for line ILW. Heat stress had less impact on the litter size of the sows in the study and the heritability estimates relating to heat tolerance of litter size were only 0.03 and 0.01 respectively, but the results in total clearly indicated possibilities for improving sow performance by selecting on heat tolerance.

The team also examined 93,969 insemination and farrowing records from 24,456 sows of the same two lines that were inseminated between January 2003 and July 2008, on 20 farms in Spain and on 13 farms in Portugal. The average farrowing rate across all breeds was 83%. On aver-age, crossbred sows had the highest

farrowing rate (86%) and purebred DY-line sows had the lowest (82%). Farrowing rates from an insemination day when the maximum temperature was below 23°C were highest for DY-line sows and lowest for those of the ILW-line. At insemination temperatures above 23°C, however, the farrowing rate of DY-line sows decreased whereas the rates of the ILW-line and crossbred sows stayed similar to their perform-ance at lower temperatures. Heritability estimates for heat tolerance were lowest for ILW-line sows and highest for the crossbreds.

Improvement through breedingOverall, the available evidence shows that both farrowing rate and heat toler-ance are heritable traits and can be improved via breeding. This raises the obvious question of whether these traits can be improved simultaneously with-out one upsetting the other. The answer is not yet straightforward: although previous studies had shown a negative genetic correlation between heat tolerance and production, in the later examination the correlations between farrowing rate and heat tolerance were found to be close to zero.

It may not be possible to aim for simultaneous improvement; however, there remains an important message in this work. When improving either farrowing rate or litter size without taking heat tolerance into account, this will lead to animals which have high performance but which are more sensitive to heat stress.

The possibility of selecting for heat tolerance is exciting as most genetic selection of pigs takes place currently in nucleus herds located in temperate zones. Commercial pig production occurs all over the world, including hot climates. Selecting sows to be more tolerant of heat must hold out the promise of a further improvement of reproductive results also under those conditions.

This is the approach adopted by the Topigs breeding programme, where heat tolerance is considered constantly in the continuous search for even bet-ter production. The programme has already been applying the knowledge gained from this research. PP

• Daily global pig news

• Free newsletter

• Health & Diseases management tool

• Weblog international pig experts

• Article archive

www.PigProgress.net

11PPR004_SOW 1911PPR004_SOW 19 5/12/2011 2:00:38 PM5/12/2011 2:00:38 PM


Regional focusRegional focus

www.PigProgress.net

Philippine pig farms stepping up biosecurity

While the Philippines still has a

large backyard farm segment,

swine production continues

to move ahead in terms of

consolidation, expertise and

production levels. The closed

1,000 sow Nenas Quintos

farms, located close to Manila,

are a good example of the

Philippines’ successful pig

business.

By Dr Steven McOrist

There are currently more than 12 million pigs housed in the Philippines, which has a strong

domestic market of 95 million people, but weak export markets. Many pork prod-ucts are integral to Filipino cuisine, with firm favourites such as lechon kawali (fried salted pork belly), cicharon (dry pork skin and fat), bopis (spicy pig liver), dinuguan (pig intestines cooked in pork blood) and adobo pork stew.

The backyard farm sector is scattered throughout the 7,100 islands that make up the Philippines and probably comprise 70-80% of the total pig output. Many households hold some pigs throughout the year up until June, when they are often sold to provide an income for the family to pay for annual school tuition costs. Farm-gate prices therefore tend to peak in May.

Larger agribusiness operationsIn the larger agribusiness swine opera-tions there is increasing integration (breeder and feed suppliers, finisher contractors) around the major cities and the number of smaller to medium-sized farms are also building up. What were once 100-sow farms are now 500- or 1,000-sow farms.

Some excellent farms in the Philippines are located in the agricul-tural province of Bulacan located close to Metropolitan Manila. Nenas Quintos farms are a well-run, 1,000 sow, single-site swine farming operation. The farms provide around 20,000 finisher pigs each year into the local dealer markets and slaughterhouses.

There are around 70,000 sows in the small and busy Bulacan province alone, which means all have difficult

biosecurity issues due to the presence of numerous nearby farms.

At Nenas Quintos there is strong management control of the farrowing, weaner and finisher area operations, with well-cleaned facilities for breeder, nursery and finisher pigs. The farm maintains an excellent weaning weight of 8 kg, with low losses in wean-to-finish of only 6%. Slaughter weights tend to be low in the Philippines at 90 kg live bodyweight in the local markets.

Relatively high feed input prices are currently countered by good farm-gate prices. The high price and uncertain availability of coconut oil and cereals for animal feed, is often countered by the use of alternative meal ingredients placed into pig rations. The Nenas farms has taken this use of alternatives

Nenas Quintos is located in the densely populated province of Bulacan in central Luzon.

11PPR004_Philippine 2011PPR004_Philippine 20 5/12/2011 1:18:30 PM5/12/2011 1:18:30 PM

Regional focusRegional focus

and by-products to new levels with on-site feed milling of a very wide range of alternatives. They currently use only 10% corn cereal in the final diets, with added components derived from bulk purchases (1 to 5 tonnes) of stale or unused noodles, biscuits, corn chip snacks, chocolate milk drinks, banana meal, coconut meal, chocolate snack bars, milk powder and others. As a result they are able to keep feed costs at 30% below the national aver-age of 21 pesos (US$0.50) per kg.

The farm has a closed herd, with both females and boars derived from on-site breeding programs. The managers and veterinarians are actively investigating new improved lines of Large White pigs from other suppliers; this breed is felt to provide the best all-round performance in tropical conditions.

The finisher sheds have been con-structed in a typical 800 to 1,000 head capacity in a set of adjacent sheds. Each shed has excellent curtain-sided

ventilation and water-filled flush gutters for cooling. While American strains of PRRS were present on many Filipino farms, the closed farm structure in this herd has led to stable infections and low weaner mortality rates of only 1% to 3%.

PEDThe farmer was having good success with the use of gut health stabilisers such as Sangrovit alkaloids to control some PED diarrhoea and poor performance in the finishers.

The Philippines is one of the few major pig producing countries with a major problem with the PED epidemic diarrhoea virus. Probably 100% of Filipino pig farms have been affected in the past five years and many farms complain of having regular re-occur-ring PED outbreaks – every six to 12 months, when specific immunity wanes in each breeding herd. There are no reliable vaccines on the market and the search is on for a good quality

vaccine that will halt this common problem.

On the upside, the Philippines’ pig industry has had great success recently in becoming free from Foot-and-Mouth Disease after a long struggle, particu-larly on the main island of Luzon. It is hoped that this can provide an incentive for increased pork exports, from the main integrators, such as Monterey and Bounty Fresh. PP

Breeding pigs at Nenas farms.

11PPR004_Philippine 2111PPR004_Philippine 21 5/12/2011 1:18:32 PM5/12/2011 1:18:32 PM


WelfareWelfare

www.PigProgress.net

Pig welfare: A contentious issue for Australia’s farmersWhat have animal rights groups, state

government politics and a battle for market

supremacy between two giant retail chains got

to do with the issue of welfare in the Australian

pig industry? Far too much, would probably be

the answer if you asked a typical Australian pig

farmer.

By Pete Bedwell, Australia

As in many developed economies, the disconnection between consumers and the farmers who

grow their food is a root cause of many problems for the Australian intensive live-stock sector and pig farmers in particular.

A largely urban based population with little understanding of modern farming methods that deliver their safe, nutritious and affordable food have become fertile ground for animal activist groups. These activist groups are well organised, well funded and know how to use modern media to get their message across.

The focus of their attack a couple of years ago was sow stalls and inevitably, as the issue attracted mainstream media attention, it was not long before some politicians leapt on the bandwagon to push their own agenda.

In Australia, livestock farming methods’ regulation is in general a state government issue. In Tasmania, the smallest state, with a population of just over half a million or 2.5% of the total national head count and very few commercial pig farms, the government exists as a leftish coalition of green and labour politicians. In June 2010, this government decided to ban sow stalls effective 2014.

UnnecessaryIt was a somewhat unnecessary move as the pig industry in Australia had already accepted the need to change sow-housing methods by 2017 in a nationwide agreement negotiated with the Primary Industries Ministerial Council back in 2007. This body attempts to establish some uniformity of regulation in primary industries across various legislative bodies within Australia and New Zealand.

The Model Code of Practice for pigs stipulates that ‘the use of sow stalls be restricted to a maximum of six weeks – or until the pregnancy is confirmed, effective 2017’. Prior to the Tasmanian Government’s move, the Model Code of Practice had been generally accepted by regulators nationwide.

Enter the supermarket chains, and in particular Coles, the smaller of a

duopoly in Australia where, Coles and their rival Woolworths, control over 70% of all food shopping. Woolworths is the market leader with the biggest volume and historically the highest profit margins. Coles, struggling in the shadow of Woolworths, was acquired in mid-2007 by a large western Australian based conglomerate Wesfarmers, in a cash and share deal worth more than A$22 billion.

Despite this massive investment, Coles continued to struggle against its rival and in May 2008 engaged the services of Ian McLeod, a retail specialist who held senior roles in the Asda supermarket business in the UK.

McLeod and his merchandise manag-er John Durkan, who joined Coles at about the same time, faced a big task in reducing rival Woolworth’s long held dominance.

A model of a farrowing pen at the University of Sydney’s pig farm in Camden, based on an earlier Werribee pen design.

11PPR004_Pig welfare 2211PPR004_Pig welfare 22 5/12/2011 12:24:44 PM5/12/2011 12:24:44 PM


WelfareWelfare

www.PigProgress.net

Amongst their strategies to claw back sales volume, Coles followed the Tasmanian governments lead by stipu-lating that its meat supplies, including the fresh pork sold in its stores should be raised in ‘welfare friendly’ systems. One initiative announced in July 2010 was the requirement of sow stall free suppliers, effective 2014.

Free-rangeThe company also sought to increase its offering of what it considered itsconsumers favoured in pig rearing methods, typically free-range systems. This move infuriated the mainstream Australian pig industry as although fresh pork is only supplied from within Australia, up to 72% of pork consumed as a processed product, ham, bacon, etc. (which represents up to 60% of the overall market) is imported.

Countries supplying frozen pork for further processing are Denmark, Canada and the US where, unlike Australia pig farmers, producers bene-fit from various levels of subsidies; further the great majority of imported pork is supplied from sources that do not comply with the sow housing conditions that were expected by Coles when it announced its initiative concerning Australian fresh pork suppliers.

All of the above concerns pig welfare as a consumer and by extension, a retailer. In the long run the pork industry’s relationship with its major customers like Coles and Woolworths have been mutually beneficial and this latest controversy, which centres large-ly on sow housing will, as in the past, be resolved.

While Coles management, shortly after the sow stalls removal by 2014 conditions were announced, reckoned that its fresh pork sales had increased as a result of consumer support for the ‘welfare-based’ initiative, there is little independent evidence of welfare being the cause of any changes in sales.

A recently completed Stollznow study suggests that any impact was likely to be small, given that in 2010 only 17% of Australians rated animal welfare as a highly important consideration when buying meat.

Alternative Farrowing SystemsAddressing the concerns of industry professionals as well as consumers, retailers and of equal importance producers, the Animal Welfare Science Centre (AWSC) held a seminar in September 2010, in Melbourne, Australia, called ‘Alternative Farrowing Systems, identifying the gaps in knowledge’.AWSC consists of four collaborative partners being the relevant animal and veterinary science faculties from Melbourne University, Monash University DPI Victoria and the Ohio State University (USA) with key links to University of Queensland and Massey University in New Zealand. AWSC conducts research into welfare methodology and strategies to measure animal welfare.Speakers at the seminar included the director of AWSC, Paul Hemsworth, Greg Cronin, University of Sydney and Hugh Payne from the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia.In 2010, a research collaboration between associate professor Inger Lise Andersen and professor Knut Bøe from the University of Life Sciences (Norway) and Dr Cronin, constructed four prototype farrowing pens at the University of Sydney’s Mayfarm pig unit in Camden, New South Wales. These pens were designed by Dr Andersen based on Dr Cronin’s work conducted with his earlier designed ‘Werribee’ farrowing pen.Rebecca Morrison, research scientist at Rivalea (Australia), the country’s largest integrat-ed pork producer, conducted her PhD with Hemsworth and Cronin. “Rivalea Australia is a leader in the industry in terms of researching and investigating non-crated farrowing systems,” she said. One of the most critical initiatives as far as pig welfare is concerned is the research about to commence in July.Programme 1 of six specific research programmes is all about enhancing animal welfare and applies to sows in lactation, gestation and their progeny,” said Dr Roger Campbell, CEO of the Pork CRC.“We need to look at systems and strategies that genuinely and cost effectively enhance the well being of both sow and progeny: some real innovation will be required and we do not just want to repeat what has been done previously. We have some of the best Australian and internationally recognised scientists involved and collaboration from the North American Universities of Alberta, Ohio, Iowa State and INRA in France.”Campbell said, “Research will cover three core areas, mating and lactation innovations, ‘gradual’ weaning systems, and management of weaned sows in groups. As part of our expert programme, we will work closely with the RSPCA and retailers Woolworths to develop R&D, education and utilisation projects for Programme 1. The new Pork CRC is very serious in its plans to enhance sow/piglet welfare and it is hoped that progress in this regard will deliver a competitive advantage, not only in domestic markets but internationally.” “Also the programme has the potential to put pressure on imports assuming that the major retailers and consumers are serious about wanting improved sow welfare. The timing of this research fits in well with the Australian pork industry’s decision to phase out gestation stalls by 2017. Approximately 30% of the Pork CRC budget over the next eight years will be allocated to the confinement- free sow and piglet management (Programme 1),” Campbell concluded.

Dr Roger Campbell, Pork CRC: “We need to look at systems that cost effec-tively enhance the well being of both sow and progeny.”



WelfareWelfare

www.PigProgress.net

Also, based on Nielsen Homescan panel information, whilst Coles did slightly outperform market growth in fresh pork sales for the month from mid June to July in 2010, they grew slightly slower in the month before and the month after that period.

Australian Pork Limited (APL) general manager marketing, Peter Haydon, recently released results of a consumer survey relating to pork which revealed that out of nine key considerations, taste was number one (85.6%) and animal welfare last, see Figure 1.

Also the same survey conducted in

2009 and 2010 revealed a fall of animal welfare concern from 60% in 2009 to 52.3% in 2010, see Figure 2.

Consumer concernsJust because consumer concerns are not as high as animal welfare groups would suggest, and big retailers sug-gest, does not mean that the Australian pig industry as well as associated professional and academic groups ignore the issue – far from it.

At the time of the Tasmanian Government’s and subsequent Coles’ initiative on sow stall removal, the

Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) released a statement on the issue.

Dr Tony Fahy, president of Australian pig veterinarians, said: “AVA’s pig veterinarians think that these recent developments could be a concern for the welfare of pigs. The impact on welfare could be unacceptable if we don’t put pigs in a correctly designed group housing system, supervised by competent stock people. I’ve seen some good systems and others where the injury and resulting culling rates are unacceptably high,” he said.

Dr Fahy continued to say, “There is insufficient research data available at the present time to allow us to accurately define minimum standards for housing pregnant sows. The AVA is currently working toward defining a minimum standard in collaboration with the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals (RSPCA) and APL.”

Sow confinementGiven all the media attention sow confinement has received in Australia, those not associated with the industry might think that it is the sole issue surrounding pig welfare and that there has been little research into alternative housing systems.

There are other welfare issues and during the last 25 years or so, plenty of valuable work has been conducted both within commercial production and at the highest levels of animal science establishments.

Boar taint, for instance, is both a consumer and an animal welfare issue.

Australia is one of the few countries that does not routinely castrate all male pigs. APL states that, in some situations, castration is a necessary management practice for production to avoid boar taint.

New technologies, such as the use of Porcine Somatatropin (PST), or Improvac in its commercial form, are enabling farmers to avoid physical castration in some situations through the use of a vaccination against boar taint. Pigs that are not castrated are sent to market before they reach sexual maturity. About 35% of current production in Australia has adopted vaccination against boar taint in their production systems. PP

100.0

90.0

80.0

70.0

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

0.0Taste Price Health Australian

produce

Easy to

cook

Versatility

of the

meat

Environmental

friendliness

of the meat

Environmentally

friendly

packaging

Animal

welfare

10.0

20.0

2010

2009

85.682.9 80.5 76.8

73.3 70.8

58.4 58.452.3

87.0

78.6 80.5 78.473.8 72.9

60.0 58.7 60.0

%

Figure 1. Australian Pork Limited (APL) consumer survey to key considerations for buying pork.

70

%

60

50

40

0Animal welfare 2010 Animal welfare 2009

20

10

30

Low Medium High

63

20 17

55

2619

Figure 2. Importance of animal welfare, in the same APL research.


Business newsBusiness news

www.PigProgress.net

Trends in sow reproduction, SpainThe first issue of the ‘Trends in Sow Reproduction’ conference, organised by Ceva Animal Health, attracted about 350 delegates. About 350 veteri-narians and industry specialists from all over Europe gathered to attend presentations from various keynote speakers. Prof Dr Dominiek Maes, professor swine medicine, Ghent University, Belgium, kicked off the event with an overview of the implications of the 2013 ban on sow stalls in the EU. What is the legislation, what alternatives are available and what are the consequences of each housing system? A summary of the presentation can be found in an upcoming issue of Pig Progress. Next on stage was Prof Dr Robert Knox from the University of Illinois, USA. He presented the results of a large research among American sow producers about their production methods and results.

Dr Carlos Casanovas Granell, Spain, an advocate of batch manage-ment strategies, gave an overview of week systems to be followed. He presented several week systems, varying from one week to five weeks - and with weaning at 21 days or 28 days. When planning and organising well, they offer a range of opportunities for a higher profitability.

Prof Dr Nicoline Soede, from Wageningen University’s Adaptation Physiology Group in the Netherlands, explained about physiology of the oestrus cycle in gilts and sows. She explained the role of Luteinising Hormones (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormones (FSH) during follicle evolution, ovulation and the weaning-to-oestrus interval. One key message was that the next oestrus begins in later stages of lactation.

Prof Dr Olli Peltoniemi, from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland, spoke about seasonal infertility. He discussed the influence of light, temperature, stress, boars, genetics, nutrition and group housing on seasonal infertility. He said sows secrete melatonin as a consequence of a change in daylight, which influences FH and LSH release - and thus influences reproduction figures.

Dr Torsten Pabst, a German veterinarian discussed the state of pig production in Germany. Dr Pabst had also done several trials with the product Fertipig (by Ceva) and he concluded using 5 ml after weaning reduced the weaning to oestrus interval, increased insemination rates and more piglets are born per 100 weaned sows. (www.ceva.com)

Smithfield sells Texas hog farm to Cargill Smithfield Foods has completed the sale of its hog production facility located in Dalhart, Texas to Cargill’s Wichita-based pork business for about $33 million. The production site of 21,500 acres (87 km2) was acquired from Smithfield’s subsidiary Premium Standard Farms. The facilities, which had been idle since spring 2010, will be used to produce pigs that will be transferred to Midwest grow-out facilities after they are weaned. These pigs will then become a portion of the animals Cargill Pork harvests annually at its two meat processing facilities in Beardstown, Illinois, and Ottumwa, Iowa. In addition to the sow inventory that will be introduced to the property, Cargill Pork plans to make additional investments to improve and expand existing assets on the property, as well as add infrastructure as required. The first group of animals from the site is expected to be harvested in 2012. (www.smithfieldfoods.com and www.cargill.com)

People

DaniscoDanisco has announced

several new additions to

its team. Dr Sven Gensler

(top) was appointed as

market intelligence and

intellectual property asset

manager. Dr Bob Stock

(middle) has recently

been appointed as senior

key account manager,

USA, based in New Jersey.

He will be responsible for

the development and

maintenance of the

company’s enzyme,

betaine and probiotic

sales in eastern USA. Dr Armin Vikari (bottom picture) is

appointed regional technical manager,

responsible for the pig and poultry mar-

ket in northern Europe. Veterinarian and

marketeer, Viviana Schroeder, was

appointed as Latin American marketing

manager. She will be based in Mexico

City and will have a particular focus on

launching new products and develop-

ment of brand awareness. Agricultural

engineer, Fernando Garcilópez Pérez,

was named business manager, responsi-

ble for the Iberian market, Spain and

Portugal.

Pfizer Animal HealthDr Lucina Galina recently accepted a

new role within Pfizer Animal Health.

She will provide technical support to the

company’s Strategic Initiatives Team.

Maple LeafCanadian food processor Maple Leaf

Foods nominated James P. Olson to join

the board as an independent director. He

was identified through an independent

global search firm retained by the board,

and brings a strong mix of skills and

experience.

Zinpro Zinpro has added Corinne Forget as country

manager – France. In this

position, she will be

responsible for sales and

marketing activities for

the company in this region.

LTO NetherlandsAlbert Jan Maat, 58, has been

reconfirmed as chairman of the Dutch

Federation of Agriculture and Horticulture

(LTO) for a period of four years.

Lallemand James Bryte will join Lallemand Animal

Nutrition, Milwaukee, USA. Bryte will be

the new swine and poultry units director for

the company’s North American division.

Diamond V EuropeDiamond V Europe added Lionel le Ven

as the technical sales support manager

for France. The company also appointed

Marijke van der Laan as office assistant

for the European business unit office.

NPPCThe NPPC has named Dr Liz Wagstrom

as its chief veterinarian. She will be

located in the office in Washington, DC.

She will focus on animal health and

welfare, on-farm production and public

health and food-safety issues.

JSR GeneticsUK-based pig breeding company JSR

Genetics has appointed Dr Grant Walling as managing director, taking

responsibility for JSR’s sales business

and breed improvement programmes.

www.bigdutchman.com

O N E S T E P A H E A D

11PPR004_BusinessNews 2511PPR004_BusinessNews 25 5/13/2011 2:32:54 PM5/13/2011 2:32:54 PM

Business newsBusiness news

www.PigProgress.net26 PIG PROGRESS Volume 27, No. 4 2011

http://www.

Company related news can also be found at www.PigProgress.netSend your company news to [email protected]

Many Danes at SuinicolaThis year’s edition of the biannual Italian pig fair Suinicola, held April 14-16 in Reggio Emila, attracted a good number of visitors. This was despite a crisis in the Italian pork industry, due to low prices and high feed costs. Consumers have also been buying cheaper types of ham instead of the classic Italian hams.

Nevertheless, the show was well visited by breed-ing companies from Denmark. For instance Danbred International could be found at the show, offering a wide package with its links with the Danish State Vet Service. A company like Global Pigs, based in Jutland, Denmark, exports F1 females and 25 kg pigs for finishing to Italy. The Danish selection programme is using the key parameter ‘LG5’ to select females with excellent mothering ability – it is the number of suckling pigs alive at five days. In addition, there is selection aimed at having more teats. At the showground was a massive pig transporter truck owned by a specialist Danish pig haulier, emphasising the Danish-Italian links; and equipment companies from Denmark also had a strong presence at the show. Not surprisingly - another country well represented was China. (sl)

Weda: New dry feed mixer German livestock equipment producer Weda (Dammann & Westerkamp) has introduced a dry feeding system onto the market that enables pigs’ feed to be distributed into four feed circuits from a compact mixer. The dry feed mixer (TM) is available in two versions: TM 100 and TM 40, and takes up 40 or 100 kg per mixing process. Through this device various feed mixes can be filled in after another and can be fed out in two parallel running lines at the same time. With the aid of the ‘TM’ the running times of the feed chains can be shortened while the throughput of the feed is increased. Pig producers will save on costs, but also on space. Both systems require a floor space of 1.65 x 1.65 m. (www.weda.de)

Pfizer integrates AlpharmaWith the acquisition of King Pharmaceuticals by Pfizer, announced in February, Pfizer Animal Health has begun integrating Alpharma, into its existing business. Pfizer now adds Alpharma brands such as Bovatec, Aureomycin, Deccox and BMD to its offerings. These products comple-ment the Pfizer portfolio. (www.pfizerah.com)

GenVec, Merial collaboration GenVec has entered into a second agreement with French animal health company Merial. In December last year, GenVec announced that the company will be working with Merial to develop and commercialise GenVec’s proprietary vaccine technology for use against Foot-and-Mouth Disease. Under a new agreement, Merial has the right to evaluate GenVec technology for applications in other areas of animal health. Merial has elected to start the programme using the GenVec technology to target swine diseases. Dr Robert Nordgren, global head of Merial’s Bio R&D, said: “We have been impressed with GenVec’s differentiated technology, and are excit-ed to expand the fields in which we collaborate.” (www.merial.com and www.genvec.com)

PIC expands Asian businessPig breeder PIC has extended its business on various Asian markets. The company’s Philippines branch celebrated its 15th anniversary by announcing two agreements to grow its dam line production base by over 5,000 GGPs and GPs. These additions enhance the existing supply network of three nucleus farms, 12 multiplication units and five distribution centres spread across the archipelago. PIC partnered with two corporate powerhouses, Venvi Agro-Industrial Ventures and RDF Meatshop, to develop the projects in Luzon.

In Vietnam, the breeder concluded an agreement with local agribusiness powerhouse, Greenfeed (GF), for the production and distribu-tion of genetically advanced swine semen. The first 100 elite boars have been shipped from the company’s Apex genetic nucleus in USA and taken up residence in GF’s 500-boar stud located in Dong Nai province in the south of the country. Franchise partner PIC Korea embarked on a programme of expansion. Two new gilt multiplica-tion farms were commissioned in 2010 and capacity growth will be accelerated in 2011 with the addition of a further 3,700 GPs in three multiplication units. Expansion of the supply base is underpinned by a second nucleus facility that is now under construction and will be stocked by import of elite GGPs from genetic nucleus herds in North America. South Korea is in need of genetics in order to reconstruct the country’s sow herd after the recent FMD outbreak. (www.pic.com)

THE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE ON PIG PRODUCTION

PIG PROGRESS is published by Reed Business International Agri

Media, part of Reed Business bv, the Netherlands.

Copyright © 2011. All rights reserved

ISSN: 0169-4405

Frequency: 10x per year

Circulation: 14,729

Managing directorEddy Reuling

EditorVincent ter Beek ([email protected])

Sub-editorZanap van Zyl ([email protected])

Contributing authorsRonello Abila, Pete Bedwell, Saskia Bloemhof, John Gadd, Wantanee

Kalpravidh, Dr Ioannis Mavromichalis, Dr Steven McOrist and Sacha

Seneque

Advertising sales directorErwin Lopulalan

Advertising sales managersCarlos Fernández-Cordeiro, Lucas van ‘t Hof, Geke Koudenburg,

Antoinette Kwakman and Dhierinder Ramcharan

Media file available on request ([email protected])

www.adverterenbijreedbusiness.nl

Tel: +31 314 349 968

DTP: Thomson Digital, India

Web content coordinator: Allison Winstanley

Traffic manager: Marc Gerlich

Production manager: Emile Hezemans

Marketing director: Casper Niesink

Marketing managers: Wendy Smeets (print); Margreet van

Dam (online)

SubscriptionsTel: +31 314 358359

Subscriptions can start at any chosen time. Subscribe via website or

directly at our Customer Service. Subscriptions will automatically contin-

ue unless Customer Service receives a cancellation notification at least 30

days prior to subscription end date. Notification of subscription termina-

tion can be done either in writing or per e-mail;

[email protected]. For information regarding running

subscriptions, contact Customer Service.

BankerCitibank Philadelphia, Lock Box 7107, PO Box 7247-7101

Philadelphia, PA 19170-7107, USA

Account no. 4067-7681; Cheques payable to: Reed Business bv

AddressReed Business bv

PO Box 4, 7000 BA Doetinchem, the Netherlands

Tel: +31 314349562 Fax: +31 314340515

Published, printed in co-operation with Magnum Int Printing

Co, Level 4, 16 Tuas Avenue 5, Singapore 639340, Singapore

Tel: +65 6898 9101 Fax +65 6898 9102

The publisher and authors declare that they have compiled this doc-

ument carefully and to the best of their knowledge. However no

warranty or representation is made to the accuracy or completeness

of the information contained in this document. The publisher and

authors assume no liability whatsoever for any damage resulting

from the use of this document or its contents.

Reed Business bv, publisher of Pig Progress, collects data on subscrib-

ers to this magazine and when you contact our organisation. These

data may be used for direct marketing purposes for Reed Business bv,

its ventures and carefully screened companies. You can block your data

for use in direct marketing by writing to Reed Business bv, attn

Address Processing, PO Box 8080, 7000 AV Doetinchem, the

Netherlands, or by e-mail to [email protected].

11PPR004_BusinessNews 2611PPR004_BusinessNews 26 5/13/2011 2:32:56 PM5/13/2011 2:32:56 PM

Pigs mean work. But with SANGROVIT®, you can switch to autopilot. Because with SANGROVIT®, your yield moves into the fast lane.

With IQ INSIDE for better feed intake, higher meat quality and faster growth. All confi rmed by independent studies. SANGROVIT® comes from Phytobiotics.

Not in tins, but in practical portions instead. From the people who studied how to increase yields.

MAKES THE SWINE FINE TO DINE.

Subscribe now to Pig Progress! Click here and see our special offer

Pig Progress is aimed at the international pig industry, translating scientific knowledge and practical experience into readible and useful articles for producers, science people and the international business people alike. The magazine not only covers the latest developments on efficientmanagement and research, but also international trends in production, trade and technology. Authors from renowned sources and a global correspondent network assure that up-to-date knowledge from a worldwide network is delivered month after month.

Pig Progress is published ten times each year.

www.pigprogress.net/subscribe

pig progress

Documents

h e i n t e r n

pig production

kemin industries

pig farmer

major pig countries

spm pig farmmoves

pmat kemin agrifoods

scientific knowledge