Stakeholders and prominent personalities from the swine industries gathered for the annual consultation meeting on Swine Production Performances in the Philippines at the Kalayaan Hall, Club Filipino, Greenhills, San Juan City.
The event provided updates on local R&D initiatives implemented by networks of research implementers in collaboration with the private sectors.
Highlights of the meeting include the PCAARRD Swine ISP Updates wherein two programs were presented. These programs were titled Development of LAMP assays and quick test kits for gastrointestinal and respiratory infections of swine and Private-Public Partnership in the Application of Animal Genomics to Increase Productivity and Improve Efficiency of the Philippine Swine Industry.
The programs were presented by Drs. Clarissa Yvonne J. Domingo, Associate Professor, Central Luzon State University, and Jesus Rommel V. Herrera, Supervising Science Research Specialist, Philippine Carabao Center, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, respectively.
Dr. Edwin C. Villar, Director of the Livestock Research Division of PCAARRD explained that these initiatives were undertaken to address the S&T gaps on disease diagnostic assays and protocols and the need for technologies to increase litter size as identified in the production stage of the swine technology/supply chain.
The swine genomics program, composed of two projects, from which S&T interventions were introduced to the stakeholders, is expected to improve production efficiency of the local swine industry.
Project 1 focuses on the identification of genes that code for positive traits such as prolificacy and other desired production traits while Project 2 aims to develop genetic markers that will screen for defects and select disease resistance genes in swine.
Together, these programs will enhance swine productivity and reproductive efficiency in the country when used in combination with existing breeding and selection protocols.
Dr. Arturo T. Calud, Project Leader, presented the 2013 Swine Production Performance in the Philippines, a former PCAARRD-supported project which is now managed by the Philippine Swine Industry Research and Development Foundation, Inc. (PSIRDFI).
The swine monitoring project which has been established for the last 24 years reflected the 2013’s average production performances in each production parameter used in the study.
Based on the project, the total averages on the litter size at birth, preweaning mortality, pig weaned per sow per year (PWSY), average daily gain, and adjusted farm efficiency were met significantly.
Project’s success encouraged 35 other swine producers to become new project cooperators. As cooperators they will share swine production performances of their respective farms subject to confidentiality.
Also present in the event were swine raisers, farm owners and managers, academicians, veterinary practitioners, government institutions, sales representatives from sponsoring veterinary drug manufacturers, and feed milling companies.
In spite of the local swine industry’s high performance in 2013, project implementers see the need to revisit its targets for further improvement of its production performances.
The significant improvements on most production parameters coupled with the expected deliverables from swine R&D initiatives will secure the outcomes of the Swine ISP by 2020.