DIVERS

• The successful marriage of appellation with production in Italy.
• The potential for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in non-ruminant livestock and fish
• Inside China
• Is sow productivity an important criterium?

The successful marriage of appellation with production in Italy.
GARNIER JP
Porc Magazine 2003 juin: 30-33.
This paper describes and analyses the swine production system in Italy-an unique system relying on the development of high quality production instead of standard products-which is a real success story. Eighty-six percent of the Italian swine production consists of heavy pigs that are specifically raised for the Italian appellations of high quality dry hams. San Daniele and Parm hams make up for 60% of the total production. Genetics, nutrition, herd management and strict selection of hams: all participate in a production system delivering high quality products. This production model could be applied to other European countries.

The potential for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in non-ruminant livestock and fish
MATTHEWS D, COOKE BC
Rev Sci Tech Off Int Epiz 2003 22: 283-296
BSE affected domestic cattle in UK but the risk of contamination to non-ruminant livestock must be considered. The association of the disease with ruminant proteins (meat and bone meal) and the use of these proteins in feeds for pigs and poultry lead to the inevitable exposure of these species to BSE before a total ban on the use of animals proteins was implemented. Experiments have been conducted over five years to verify whether pigs were susceptible to BSE. Parental inoculation of pigs with BSE revealed successful transmission of the disease while oral exposure to BSE and sheep scrapies did not bring evidence of a successful transmission. An absence of infectivity in the intestine and lymphoid tissues of these infected pigs was observed. However, the continuing use of ruminant proteins in other parts of the world and the potential existence of a carrier state (pigs as passive carriers) are major causes for concern as there is a risk of perpetual recycling of ruminant proteins and BSE.

Inside China
YAN JZ, MORRISON B, MEYER T, DEEN J
Pig Progress 2003 19 : 9-14
China’s swine industry is undergoing significant changes to tailor market demands and consumers’ changing consumption habits. A significant shift from backyard farms (gradually disappearing) to specialized households and large state-owned farms being privatised has been a definite trend in the Chinese pig industry. Today, large commercial farms in inland provinces provide live pigs to pork consumption areas (cities) due to a massive infrastruture network. Consumers are increasingly concerned about quality and food safety and producers must comply with tighter control from the government. The evolution toward a high quality pork production may open the Chinese market to imports or conversely China may become a pork exporter as its pig industry grows.

Is sow productivity an important criterium?
BADOUARD B
Porc Magazine 2003 avril: 62-64
The relationship between production cost and product in swine operation is well-established.
While increasing the number of pigs produced by sows, the herd manager increases its product and reduces its production cost. However, a survey of 300 herds showed that only a quarter of these herds had achieved a low production cost (inferior to the mean production cost:1,363€/kg of carcass). Sow productivity is a variable factor which is correlated to the production cost and helps reduce this cost. In 2002, a herd manager was able to release a surplus of 53€ on gross margin on feed cost if he had one more pig produced per sow.