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good recording system is essential in any enterprise.
By comparing previous and current records, failures
and corresponding improvements may be identified.
Anchored
on this premise, the Swine Production Performance Monitoring
Project monitors the productive and reproductive performance
of swine in commercial farms across the country. The
Project, a collaboration between the Philippine Swine
Industry Research and Development Foundation, Inc. (PSIRDFI)
and PCARRD, started in 1992 and continues to this day.
The
project has encouraged local pig producers to adopt
and maintain a sound recording system that serves as
a reliable basis for making farm decisions related to
the production and marketing of live piglets and slaughter
hogs. The system also |
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proved
to be useful in identifying “choke-points”
in commercial swine production, enabling swine farmers
to address problems appropriately.
For
the industry, the data produced serves as the average
performance index of swine in the country.
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Swine
industry Performance 
For 2005
and half of 2006, data show that the productive and reproductive
performance of commercial swine farms in the Philippines was
generally fair, except for the farrowing (giving birth) rate,
number of pigs weaned, and pigs produced, which are 77.51%,
19.45% and 16.85% respectively as of mid-2006. The targets
for these parameters have not been achieved since the project
started in 1992.
Farm efficiency
or the ratio of amount of feeds consumed by the farm to produce
a kilo of live pigs improved from 3.93 in 1992 to 3.52 in
2005 and 3.54 in 2006. This implies that farms are becoming
more efficient in producing market hogs.
The average daily gain of pigs also greatly improved from
467g in 1992 to 509g in 2005 and 514g in 2006 showing that
local farms have instituted considerable improvements in genetics,
feeding and management practices.
Data also
show an improving management of non-productive days (NPD)
in swine production as NPD in the farms began decreasing from
21.41 days in 2003 to 20.8 and 18.58 days in 2005 and 2006,
respectively.
The adjusted
30-day weaning weight improved from 6.97kg in 1992 to 7.96kg
in 2005 and 7.89kg in 2006. Again, better genetics, feeding
and management accounted for such improvement.
Fewer
pigs were weaned and sold in Luzon than in Visayas and Mindanao
due to higher incidence of diseases that cause high piglet
mortality in the area.
Despite
positive changes among local swine farms, continuous improvement
in the local swine industry is still necessary to compete
against other swine producing countries. Moreover, research
and development activities should address the problems on
low farrowing rate, and number of pigs weaned and produced
(Ronilo de Castro, S&T Media Service).
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