When building scenarios, we take into account main driving forces and restrictions.
The main driving forces in pig breeding are:
- Maintain genetic diversity
- Animals robust and efficient in different conditions
- Animal health and welfare
The main restrictions are:
- Rate of inbreeding of less than 2% per generation within purebred populations
- If breeds or lines loose their commercial value, breeding organisations and/or governmental organisations should take care of ‘in situ’ conservation through cryopreserved semen and/or embryos
- Genetic improvement will secure that pigs maintain their specific pig characteristics and do not cut down in their ability to sustain themselves - Selection on balanced genetic progress: production, reproduction, health and welfare
Based on these starting points, two following two extreme scenarios for pig breeding in 2020 were designed:
Two Scenarios for Pig Breeding in 2020
| | 1. International | 2. Mix National and International |
| Breeding Industry | - Mainly globally operating pig breeding organisations
- National programs limited to countries with no pork imports
| - Several globally operating pig breeding organisations
- National breeding programs for niche markets and regional specialties
|
| Reasons for the Situation | - No import/export limitations with regard to welfare and/or food safety
- Pig production is open world market
- Consumers primarily select on price
| - Import/export limitations with regard to animal welfare and/or food safety
- Also emphasis on local production systems and products
- Specialty and product image are also important
|
| Breeding Goals | - Pigs per sow per year
- Carcass leanness
- Meat quality
- Little emphasis on robustness, piglet vitality and longevity sows
| - Pigs per sow per year
- Carcass leanness
- Meat quality
- Main emphasis on robustness, piglet vitality, and longevity sows
|
| Breeding Methods | - Breeding value based on production traits
- Nucleus populations and selection under uniform environmental and housing conditions
| - Breeding value additionally based on health and welfare related traits
- Nucleus populations and selection under different environmental and housing conditions
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