New ways and methods of development of pig breeding in Belarus

Abstract

The Republic of Belarus has a well-developed pig breeding industry. The main goal in pig breeding in Belarus is to obtain, in a short time, competitive breeds, types and hybrids of pigs adapted to the conditions of industrial pork production and not inferior to analogues of the world breeding. Currently, in the pig industry, effective variants of interbreeding hybridization are widely introduced, and mating of specialized maternal breeds (BLW × BM) and (Y × L) with boars of specialized paternal breeds (D, P). Piglets obtained during interbreeding hybridization have a heterosis effect in feeding and meat traits 9-11 % higher compared with purebred parents. In connection with the need to increase the efficiency of domestic pig breeding, scientists at the Research and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Livestock Breeding have developed a new effective system for raising and breeding pigs, based on obtaining competitive parental forms of sows (F₁) and paternal forms of boars for hybridization. It is shown that structural transformations in the pedigree and industrial pig breeding of the Republic of Belarus in 2020-2025 and for the period until 2030 will be aimed at further improvement and increase of performance and breeding traits of pigs based on the latest methods of genetics and selection, as well as at construction and commissioning of nuclei farms for maternal and paternal breeds with a total capacity of 3400 breeding sows, as well as 5-6 sow breeding farms with total capacity of 22100 sows. Commissioning of new high-tech capacities will allow to increase the production of high-quality pork within 5 years to 500 thousand tons, or 15.0-18.0 % higher compared to the current level.