If the pork industry in the United States is to prosper, it is imperative that production efficiency of lean, quality, consumer-oriented pork products improve. The pork industry is one of several industries competing for a share of consumer market demand. Consumers, both domestic and international, have the option of purchasing numerous pork substitutes.
Due to rapid improvements in production efficiency, the retail prices of broilers and turkeys have risen less than pork prices. As a result, pork, the medium priced meat, lost sales to poultry in the more price sensitive markets and is competing with beef in less price sensitive markets.
As the pork industry matures, the most efficient producers continue to expand. The expansion of the more efficient producers causes profit margins to decrease. Thus, it is increasingly important that each pork producer carefully consider genetic options. Only progressive pork producers utilizing
seedstock with superior genetic potential arising from strategic selection practices remain competitive. Pork producers must exploit the power of genetic improvement programs in order to improve their production efficiency. While most commercial producers are aware of the dollar returns
associated with investments in improved management, the majority fail to realize the substantial economic impact of genetic improvement. Selection based upon performance data can be highly profitable for pork producers. Using proven selection techniques, it is possible to genetically
improve economically important traits at the rate of about 2 to 3% per year.
Improved efficiency of pork production results not only from genetic progress, but from advances in all areas of swine production: genetics, nutrition, physiology, management, and health. Longterm
improvement of a commercial producera