These boars were used to inseminate Hermitage F1 females on Pornpraset Farm (5,000 sow farm), located in Burirum province, 300 kms North of Bangkok. The objective of this first importation was to evaluate the growth rates and performance under Thai production and climatic conditions.

The progeny of these first inseminations reached slaughter weight of 112Kgs in 154 days from birth, outperforming all previous genetic lines evaluated at the farm.

As a result, the demand for Maxgro boars in the Thai market has rapidly increased and on 24 June 2011, Hermitage exported a second shipment of high health breeding stock to Thailand by air from Amsterdam to Bangkok. This shipment included AI standard performance tested Maxgro boars. It is planned that there will be three scheduled shipments of Maxgro boars for customers in Thailand each year. Hermitage has expanded the terminal boar nucleus to meet the increasing demand worldwide and now has over 1,200 GGP sows producing Maxgro boars.

In addition to the Maxgro boars, Hermitage also export Maternal Line Large White and Landrace boars and gilts for key Closed Herd customers in the Thai market. The Hermitage breeding programmes in Thailand are supervised by Drs Somboon and Prachin of Peakpoint Permanent Ltd.