An Educational Program Model for Pork Producers Pursuing Value-Added Marketing Opportunities

An Extension program was developed to assist producers who are targeting products toward value-added markets. Market hogs from 11 producers were evaluated for hot carcass wt, lean composition, and fresh pork quality. Pork quality classification significantly differed by producer. These results were shared with producers during an educational program that described quality measures, presented individual results, and described methods to improve quality at the farm level. Producers were able to learn recommended production practices and share knowledge among their peer group. This program has helped pork producers improve pork quality, gain entry into value-added markets, and secure repeat sales

Capturing genetic gains in productivity with heterosis

The National Swine Registry (NSR) has two long term goals: 1) to register purebred pigs and thus assure breed purity and 2) encourage genetic progress through performance testing - genetic selection programs. The continued production of purebred lines assures that a number of breeds are available to produce females and terminal cross pigs with high levels of heterosis. Purebred breeders, whose customers are commercial swine producers, have produced substantial rates of genetic progress by use of the STAGES program

Effect of genital herpes on cervicovaginal HIV shedding in women co-infected with HIV AND HSV-2 in Tanzania.

To compare the presence and quantity of cervicovaginal HIV among HIV seropositive women with clinical herpes, subclinical HSV-2 infection and without HSV-2 infection respectively; to evaluate the association between cervicovaginal HIV and HSV shedding; and identify factors associated with quantity of cervicovaginal HIV. Four groups of HIV seropositive adult female barworkers were identified and examined at three-monthly intervals between October 2000 and March 2003 in Mbeya, Tanzania: (1) 57 women at 70 clinic visits with clinical genital herpes; (2) 39 of the same women at 46 clinic visits when asymptomatic; (3) 55 HSV-2 seropositive women at 60 clinic visits who were never observed with herpetic lesions; (4) 18 HSV-2 seronegative women at 45 clinic visits. Associations of genital HIV shedding with HIV plasma viral load (PVL), herpetic lesions, HSV shedding and other factors were examined. Prevalence of detectable genital HIV RNA varied from 73% in HSV-2 seronegative women to 94% in women with herpetic lesions (geometric means 1634 vs 3339 copies/ml, p = 0.03). In paired specimens from HSV-2 positive women, genital HIV viral shedding was similar during symptomatic and asymptomatic visits. On multivariate regression, genital HIV RNA (log10 copies/mL) was closely associated with HIV PVL (β = 0.51 per log10 copies/ml increase, 95%CI:0.41-0.60, p<0.001) and HSV shedding (β = 0.24 per log10 copies/ml increase, 95% CI:0.16-0.32, p<0.001) but not the presence of herpetic lesions (β = -0.10, 95%CI:-0.28-0.08, p = 0.27). HIV PVL and HSV shedding were more important determinants of genital HIV than the presence of herpetic lesions. These data support a role of HSV-2 infection in enhancing HIV transmissibility

Genetic improvement of meat quality and fertility using the national nucleus

Knowledge is power and the National Swine Registry (NSR) is the only source of complete, publicly available, genetic records on nucleus populations. NSR has offered STAGES \u27, a BLUP genetic improvement program with bio-economic indexes for over 17 years. NSR members submit information on 3 sow productivity traits and 3 postweaning performance traits and in return receive across-herd Expected Progeny Deviations (EPDs) for these traits along with indexes for Sow Productivity, Maternal Line (sow productivity and postweaning performance) and Terminal (postweaning traits only) to be used in genetic selection. Not only is this genetic information available to members but genetic values and trends for these traits are also available to any commercial producer or genetic advisor. This program has led NSR members to make substantial genetic improvement for these traits within all four breeds. In addition, this transparent system allows commercial producers to design programs and select animals that allow them the greatest potential for their situation. As the pork industry continues ro change, multiple pork chains are forming to meets distinct specifications desired by subsets of consumers. To continue to meet the demand of these dissimilar pork chains, differentiated genetic lines are necessary to provide products that match their specifications. In addition, as profit per pig continues to decline pork producers must be able to increase product sold per unit of investment. To facilitate this key profitability indicator, the fertility of breeding females must improve. To address these two key drivers in today\u27s pork industry, the NSR has updated their genetic improvement program in these two areas