Prop 12 and Parma ham in Pig Progress 6

Great diversity of views at ESPHM

The 14th edition of the European Symposium for Porcine Health Management addressed various topics, from ASF and precision livestock farming to innovating boar semen production, future threats regarding antimicrobial resistance and the evolution of PCV2. Pages 8-10 highlight the messages from the 5 expert speakers at the event.

Italy: Famous for hams, dependent on pig imports

With a strong focus on heavier pigs, most of the pigs in Italy are kept for Prosciutto di Parma, or Parma ham, a well-known pork product from the country. This article on pages 14-15 takes a closer look at the welfare, legislation and diseases in the pig and pork sectors.

Innovations to remember from the World Pork Expo

Over 10,000 industry professionals visited the 35th World Pork Expo in Des Moines, IA, in the United States in June. Some interesting innovations include a manure pit additive, temperature-revealing heating mats and antibiotics in plastic bottles. Pages 16-17.

Prop 12: It’s coming, but at what cost?

What does Proposition 12 – the ballot initiative in California mandating how sows will have to be housed by producers who want to sell whole pork in California – mean in practice for sows in the US? Pig Progress takes a look on pages 18-20.

Pigs with long tails

On page 21, columnist Francesc Molist, R&D manager at Schothorst Feed Research in the Netherlands, writes about keeping pigs’ tails long – an interesting dilemma, he says, is on the horizon.

Hungary welcomes multistorey sow house

Suzanne and Jos Janssen in Hungary are owners of “a pig house like no other” – a multistorey building that is home to just over 4,000 sows. Pig Progress visits this farm to learn more about this impressive operation. Pages 24-27.

Application of the sow body condition calliper

The sow body condition calliper is a cost-effective technology developed by Dr Mark Knauer at North Carolina State University. The tool, he says, helps take the subjectivity out of visual and manual scoring and establishes a constant measurement of sow body condition across a production system. Pages 30-31.

Dairy lipids to narrow the weaning dip

Milk fat globule membrane is the membrane that surrounds the lipid core of a milk fat globule with 3 layers of various lipid types. It is studded with proteins and carbohydrates. Research shows how this component of cow’s milk might be of benefit to piglets. Pages 32-33.

Sustainability on the menu at a one-off roadshow

Sustainability was the focus of the 2023 Alltech One conference in Dublin, Ireland, in June. Speakers included Will Streatfeild, Alltech’s key account lead E-CO2, who explained what kind of environmental problems could be identified in livestock production, and on behalf of pig genetics company PIC, Dr Julia Adriana Calderón Díaz spoke about including feed efficiency in breeding goals. Pages 34-35.

AgriVision 2023: Future-proofing proteins

AgriVision also took place in June. The event, held in the Netherlands, brought together participants from 42 countries. The theme: ‘Path to future-proof proteins’ – how to meet today’s growing demand for protein without diminishing the capacity to meet tomorrow’s needs. Pages 36-37.

Rising to the occasion

Columnist and swine health and welfare expert, Dr Monique Pairis-Garcia, believes that the US industry can manage to find ways to comply with the new standards that will result from California’s Prop 12 legislation. Page 42.