Can genetics deliver?

Abstract

For the past thirty years pig genetics has enjoyed a clear message from its end–users: reduce backfat and production costs. During that period, genetics, nutrition and health have together delivered improvements of some 60% in lean growth rate and feed efficiency. To compound the recent misfortunes of the UK industry, meat is now slipping further behind everything else on the supermarket shelf in quality, uniformity, and above all predictability. The notion of quality stretches far beyond the product into responsibility for animal welfare, human nutrition and food safety.The industry's present dilemma arises from five factors:1.uncertain market conditions with cyclical profitability2.poor communication of what constitutes good quality3.payment systems that no longer reflect what the market requires4.independent management of the different steps in the pork value chain5.possible effects of animal health on quality and uniformity.Meanwhile the understanding of gene function and the ability to detect potentially useful genetic variation is gathering momentum. This paper examines the role that genetics can play in adding value, reducing risk and differentiating the product, from the perspective of a large vertically coordinated pork producer.