Molecular genetic diagnostics will be introduced in pig farming in the Vitebsk region

January 3, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Molecular genetic diagnostics are planned to be introduced into the pig breeding selection process in the Vitebsk region within the current five-year period, the Agriculture and Food Committee of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee informed a BELTA correspondent. The regional program for animal breeding in the region for 2011-2015 provides, in particular, for the introduction of molecular genetic diagnostic methods for determining stress sensitivity, prolificacy, intramuscular fat content, and meat yield. Thus, a competitive domestic breeding base will be created to provide industrial pig farming with high-value genetic material for obtaining a Belarusian commercial hybrid with an average daily gain of at least 900 g, 65% carcass meat content, and a backfat thickness of no more than 15 mm. This will allow by 2015 to reach pork production volumes of 111.6 thousand tons, including up to 100 thousand tons of competitive pork. At the same time, feed costs per 1 kg of gain will not exceed 3 kg. To obtain products competitive on the world market, all production processes at the region's breeding enterprises will be modernized. The breeding pig farming system will be headed by the "Zadneprovsky" selection and hybrid center (Orshansky district) with breeding stock of Yorkshire and Landrace breeds of Canadian selection, as well as farms with breeding stock of Belarusian Large White and Belarusian Meat breeds. The region has a selection and genetics center in pig farming, "Vitebsk Breeding Enterprise," which houses 198 boars of Canadian selection of Yorkshire, Landrace, and Duroc breeds, providing about 50% of artificial insemination of the pig population in the region. By the end of 2015, it is planned to increase this figure to 80% by purchasing sires of the best world selection. In the coming years, the region will also develop and implement an index assessment of breeding animals based on genetic parameters. -0-