The big challenges of the future of global pig production are food safety, antibiotic use, animal welfare and the environmental impact, all aspects defined in sustainable production. The industry has very high production standards however consumers often don't value this.
Ingelheim, Germany, 13 December 2016 – Having reached the milestone of 1 billion doses sold since launch, yet another vaccine of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health crosses a significant threshold making it one of the leading vaccines for the control of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae globally(1).
During the last fifty years or so, disease control in the pork industry has evolved mainly relying on antimicrobials, vaccines, elimination (depopulation, repopulation, eradication, modified early weaning), and/or regional control depending on the disease.
Pig production has responded to the challenge of increased global demand for pork by a process of consolidation and increased size to capture benefits of economies of scale. Over the last 25 years the swine industry has evolved in order to increase production performance, health and animal wellbeing towards age segregated or multiple site production models. In general, it can be stated that the changes in production systems have produced a positive effect in the health status of pigs by improving the way we raise pigs today.
Ingelheim, Germany, 20 September 2017 – The winners of the 2017 European PRRS Research Award have been announced at this year’s international swine veterinary assembly by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health.
Consumers, food and restaurant companies, WHO and various governments are requiring livestock farmers to produce meat raised with lower use of antimicrobial drugs. The discussion has moved on from analysing the potential risks that the use of antimicrobials in livestock can have on society to managing the new situation where pork producers will have to raise pigs using less, or even without, antibiotics. This is of course at the same time as a predicted increase in demand for protein, unprecedented restrictions on land and water use and rising input costs. What should producers do?
Hanna Fränzl gives a concise overview about the immune system of pigs.
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