Program means more pigs, grain demand in China

"We expect the mortality and farrowing rate will be improved on the farms where we were engaged," said Jason Yan, USGC technical program director in China. "Swine producers in China conduct many on-farm trials, but few of them design their experiments using proper statistical methods."

The on-farm training, conducted by Robert Morrison of the University of Minnesota, provided experience with clinical trial design, hypothesis tests and statistical methods for some of China"s most advanced swine producers.

Morrison found significant room for improvement and wide interest in conducting trials directed at improving swine health. Participants were especially concerned about porcine circovirus (PCV) and hog cholera.

"I am constantly impressed by the intense desire of the Chinese producers and their technical staff to learn," Morrison said after the workshops.

As Chinese farms adopt updated technology, the Council will be able to use its online benchmarking program to measure health improvements made through the program.

"More pigs and successful expansion will increase feed grain utilization," Yan said.

China leads in world hog production, ending 2010 with 59 percent of the world's sows.