Putting innovative tools in the hands of Canadian pork producers

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Ongoing testing and research into molecular genetics, pork quality and disease resistance is helping to ensure that the Canadian pork industry continues to provide quality products for both domestic and foreign consumers

by JIM DALRYMPLE

Although recent years have not been profitable ones for pork producers, the industry has continued to improve the quality and efficiency of the hogs it produces thanks to the efforts of the Canadian Swine Breeders Association, the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement (CCSI) and its supporters.

At the CCSI's 2010 annual meeting in Prince Edward Island, its general manager, Dr. Brian Sullivan, highlighted some of the activities that the industry has undertaken to differentiate the pork Canadian farmers produce and to ensure that Canadian pork continues to provide quality products for both domestic and foreign consumers.

CCSI's primary goal is to put innovative tools into the hands of industry and to support the use of these tools for swine and pork improvement. CCSI's focus includes:

•    Working with industry partners on pork quality standards.
•    Adding new tools that help the industry evaluate technical pork quality attributes, such as marbling and colour.
•    Developing the techniques being developed in genomics.

Overall objectives will include the continual delivery of and the support for world-class genetic improvement services that are essential for efficient production of high quality Canadian pork. Performance testing. Between April 1, 2009, and March 31, 2010, 4,708 pigs were tested under the Canadian Swine Improvement Program. Figure 1 shows the backfat and age at 100 kilograms for male animals tested in Ontario.

National Accreditation Program. Other CCSI activities include management of the National Accreditation Program for Ultrasound Technicians. A national accreditation session was held in Quebec in April, resulting in the certification of 10 level ll technicians for backfat and loin depth and eight level ll technicians for live intramuscular fat. A total of 28 technicians from across Canada are certified to submit scanning data to CCSI for use in national evaluations.

"Canada's hog producers have good reasons to be proud of the pork that comes from their hogs,¨ says Dr. Sullivan. "In fact, producers and other value-chain partners could see immediate benefit from simply labelling and promoting Canadian pork right here in Canada."

Research projects. Several research projects were completed in 2009 in areas of molecular genetics, pork quality and disease resistance.

Ongoing research includes the potential of genomics for swine improvement and a recently funded project, "Production of highly marbled Canadian pork by combining new technologies, quantitative selection and feeding".

Genetic improvement opportunities involve close co-operation with the Canadian Swine Breeders Association, the Canadian Swine Health Board, the Canadian Swine Exporters Association, PigGen Canada, the Canadian Meat Science Association and the National Pork Value Chain Roundtable. BF

J.R. (Jim) Dalrymple is a former Ontario government swine specialist and president of Livestock Technology Services Ltd. in Brighton.