Genetics: Are you raising your hogs for the right market?

Thursday, June 10, 2010

It's the pork consumers who dictate the quality demand. Work with your packer, your geneticist and other specialists to ensure that you are providing the product that the market, whether domestic or export, is seeking

by SERGE POMMIER

Do you ever consider the quality of the meat produced from your farm after your hogs leave the barn door?

As producers, we often neglect to think about who the end consumer of our pork products will be or how our hogs are measuring up to consumer demands. But, ultimately, it's the pork consumers who dictate the quality demand and influence the market price.

Canada produces some of the safest, highest quality pork in the world and, to maintain that standard, we must pay more attention to where our hogs are being marketed, who is consuming the pork and how we can help our packers meet consumer expectations and demands.

Consumer demand dictates pork quality and that demand preference is a factor in how hog carcasses are graded and any associated premiums. Domestic Canadian and U.S. consumers prefer pork cuts that appear juicy and tender and often perceive heavily marbled pork cuts to be unhealthy. It's no surprise that packers are looking for leaner carcasses to meet the consumer demand for lean pork.

But, with Canada currently producing 150-200 per cent more pork than we consume domestically, producers must also consider the requirements of export markets. Japan, for example, is not interested in lean pork, but prefers more heavily marbled cuts.

Knowing the final destination of your pork is important in selecting attributes like genetics that affect the meat quality of your hogs.

Meat quality can be measured in a variety of ways. Most often, packers assess meat quality visually, evaluating the colour and overall appearance of the carcass and loins. Industry standards evaluate meat quality based on pH levels (meat acidity), colour (the darker the better), marbling and water-holding capacity (also known as drip loss) – all of which are strongly correlated. The pH level is an objective measurement and the higher the level the better the quality.

Understanding where your packer is selling your pork products gives you an opportunity to produce the best possible pigs for that market and be compensated accordingly. By focusing on producing hogs for a specific market, you might find opportunities within your herd management practices to reduce costs and raise the quality of meat from your hogs.

Grading grids based on back fat and loin depths are currently used, along with direct individual packer contracts that specify meat quality standards and preferences that may come along with incentives.

So talk to your packer to find out where the final pork products are being marketed. Ask them if they are happy with the quality of hogs and meat you are producing, and how you can work together to meet quality expectations and consumer demands. Referring to your grading receipts can also help determine what factors are responsible for the quality of hogs you are producing.

Starting this conversation will strengthen your relationship with your packer and can provide opportunities to identify cost savings within your operation.

If your packer is supplying product for the domestic market, producing the leanest possible hogs brings the opportunity to save money in production costs. It costs four times as much to produce a pound of fat as it does a pound of lean meat. Evaluate your production practices and grading receipts to establish if you are producing hogs that are too fat or too lean.

Meat quality is influenced by a number of factors and producers can control aspects such as on farm pre-slaughter management, nutrition and genetics. Other factors such as transport, lairage conditions (housing conditions) at the plant and processing factors, such as cooling rates and slaughter methods, also directly affect meat quality. Again, I encourage you to speak to your packer about the elements of meat quality you can control.

Genetics can play an important role in meat quality, contributing to marbling among other things. Consult your genetics supplier if adjustments need to be made in your breeding program to improve meat quality. Ask what kind of traits are needed for specific consumer markets, what factors are responsible for meat quality and do they consider meat quality measurements such as pH values and water holding capacity? These questions will help determine if your genetics company offers the ideal genetics for your herd, your packer and consumers. Nutritionists are another source for support when evaluating or adjusting your management practices.

As producers, you are responsible for the hogs raised on your farm and the quality of meat resulting. Understanding the final destination for your hogs can create opportunities to identify efficiencies within your operation, strengthen your bottom line and develop a strong relationship with your packer. And improving the quality of pork and meeting consumer satisfaction benefits every step of the production chain – starting with you.

Serge Pommier, PhD, is director of technical operations for PIC Canada.