Selection for Piglet Vitality Pays Off
THE NETHERLANDS - A decision taken in 2002 to select for piglet vitality is now showing more piglets per litter and less mortality, says breeding company TOPIGS

Vaccine Voucher Scheme Launched
UK - A £1.5million vaccine voucher research project being run by the British Pig Executive (BPEX) is now up and running.

Taking Action on PCV2 - BPEX Research Scheme Starts
UK - Just a day into its new role and BPEX Ltd is making a stand with the launch of a £1.5 million PCV2 vaccine research programme. The aim of the project is to find out more about the debilitating infection and its interaction with PMWS and PDNS - persistent...

Business Support Manager for South Asia and Russia
GLOBAL - TOPIGS has appointed René ten Brinke to its international team.

Pork Commentary: Hogs and Pigs Report Offers No Panacea for What Ails Us
CANADA - The USDA March Hogs and Pigs Report was released last Friday, writes Jim Long. Unfortunately, it offers at first glance little positive news for our industry.

Make Time to Evaluate and Reap the Rewards
UK - The start of a new financial year is a good time to review production targets and set new ones, says BPEX. More producers are now seeing a gradual improvement in herd health with the stabilisation of PMWS and most herds there are showing signs of...

Social Behaviour Now Included in Selection
NETHERLANDS - Sociable pigs can now be bred thanks to a method developed jointly by the Institute for Pig Genetics (IPG) in Beuningen and the Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre of Wageningen University. It's the first time such a trait has been included...

Visit Provides Answers for Cyprus
CYPRUS - The Managing Director of leading Cyprian pig producing company, LA Top Genetics, took a tour of three JSR Genetics farms recently to view breeding stock – and their progeny – before finalizing a major contract that will boost the rapidly growing...

Pigs Are Worth It
UK - Three little pigs will start a tour of Britain today (Monday) to help raise awareness of the crisis currently facing British Pig farming.

Hypor Genetics Arrive in South Korea
SOUTH KOREA - The first shipment of Hypor breeding stock has arrived in South Korea. The consignment of 197 GGPs arrived on during February and the second shipment is currently in quarantine and expected to be delivered early April.

Taking the Helm in Italy
ITALY - Gian Giacomo Grandi (1958) has taken the helm of TOPIGS Italian subsidiary HBI.

New Vaccines Offer Breeding Herd Protection
NEW YORK - Swine producers can now protect breeding animals against major reproductive diseases. Two newly formulated 2-ml vaccines have been launched by Pfizer Animal Health that target porcine parvovirus, erysipelas and leptospirosis.

Levy Reduction Will Come in April
UK - A 10 pence cut in the pig levy has been announced as part of a strategy agreed by the board of the British Pig Executive (BPEX) to help the industry in its hour of need.

Pfizer to Acquire Genomics Companies
NEW YORK, US - Pfizer Animal Health is set to acquire two market-leading livestock genomics companies: Catapult Genetics and Bovigen.

Exports - A Ray of Hope For UK Pig Industry
UK - Yorkshire-based pig breeding company ACMC has announced orders for breeding stock worth nearly a quarter of a million pounds. They come from a number of European countries, including Poland and Spain where new genetics company, Genetica Meidam Sl,...

New Veterinary Post in Pig Health and Production
UK - Garth Partnership, one of the leading pig practices in the UK, is creating a new veterinary post to further develop the high level of service provided to their wide range of clients, including leading pig producers, to meet the needs within the industry....

Expanding in Asia
ASIA - Electronic sow feeding specialist Nedap Agri has expanded its global sales force.

Business Rises From the Ashes with a First for BD
FRANCE - A fire at that completely destroyed the breeding unit at Paul, David and Vincent Pelletier's farm in La Chapelle Thémer at Vendée in western France did not mean the end of pig production. No, it just spurred them into investment and within a...

New Appointment Supports 'Polish Push'
POLAND - Jacek Gajowczyk, Managing Director of Maxypro Jacek Gajowczyk, a pig production consultant based in the south of Poland, has been appointed as JSR Genetic's main distributor in Poland.

TOPIGS and Yurun Food Group Partners in Nucleus Farm
GENERAL - Thanks to a new partnership between TOPIGS and Yurun Food Group, a nucleus farm will be set up to supply TOPIGS genetics to an integrated pig production chain producing 3 million slaughter pigs per year. The aim of the partnership is to improve...