Over 50 genetically-advanced boars and gilts have been dispatched from the company's nucleus units in the UK. They were flown from London Heathrow to Incheon (Seoul) International Airport where they will spend 14 days in quarantine.

Twenty five boars and 20 gilts have been sent to the Kaya Co-operative, near Pusan in the south of the country.

These animals are being used to 'top-up' Kaya's own nucleus breeding programmes. The Kaya Co-operative has over 1,000 farmer members with more than 100,000 sows.

In addition, eight high-genetic-merit sires have been sent to Darby Genetics, which has its head office in Iljuk, 100 km south of Seoul. Darby Genetics is a JSR Genetics' franchisee and is the largest pig genetics company in South Korea. Darby has been a franchisee of JSR Genetics since 1995 and sells around 30,000 gilts a year.

"Korea has a highly sophisticated industry, with a total breeding herd of 950,000 sows," commented Brian Edwards, JSR Genetics' export director.

"Large herds are rearing 24-25 pigs per sow a year and, because of the climatic similarities, we find that pigs that perform well in Europe do well there, too.

"The Koreans require stock of superior genetic merit with a high health status, which we have been able to fulfil."

Source: JSR Genetics - 23rd April 2004