farmgate: It Is Hard To Swim If The Gene Pool Is Empty.
When a new crop pest appears, researchers scurry into their seed vault to find genetics that may be resistant, and begin breeding that gene into current corn hybrids and soybean varieties. The same drill is required for livestock production, but heritage breed herds are quickly diminishing because reproductive rates, rates of gain, and other performance measurements are not as high as crossbred livestock. But if crossbreds are more susceptible to disease and other health-related production problems, what economical production solutions can be developed to serve both the producer and the consumer?
Ohio State University ag economists Daniel Sanders and Stan Ernst along with animal scientist Catherine Ernst of Michigan State University explored the maintenance of pork heritage breeds and whether consumers would pay the cost of preserving those heritage breed herds. The researchers say the Berkshire, Poland China, Tamworth, and Gloucester Old Spots breeds represent the basis for current livestock genetics and if those are los, then the original genetic information and variability is lost with them. While USDA is preserving some of the germplasm in the National Animal Germplasm Program, it will not be used to actively maintain a population. That means there must be a sufficient number of heritage breeders and herds, as well as a market that will sustain their genetically viable population.
If the market will pay a premium for unique taste and texture of the meat, to offset the added cost, such a niche market presents both opportunities for producers as well as challenges that are foreign to the commodity market. The researchers believe, “Genetic variability is the key to maintaining any population. Without a continuous mixing of genes, serious genetics consequences can result. The overuse of line breeding to improve a strain of animal will eventually lead to the inclusion of inferior genetic traits on a large scale, and the fitness of the entire population will suffer. Only maintaining the line by mixing diverse populations of varied heritage within the breed will keep the overall population stable.” They say the same applies to the heritage breed, and enough animals need to be raised to maintain genetic diversity in the heritage gene pool.
The Ohio State and Michigan State research involved consumer surveys at grocery stores as well as a research model based on the preservation of wildlife species. They took into account that in a litter of 9 pigs, 8 would be marketed and 1 would be reserved for breeding. One of the issues that arose in the surveys was consumer preference for “locally grown” meats, and the choices of “support local farmers” and “freshness” far outdistanced other choices that included “safety” and “flavor.” The consumers’ willingness to pay a premium price for those attributes generally extended as high as $1.50 per pound over the price of the commodity product if it was locally produced. While the consumers were unfamiliar with the heritage concept, they expressed positive attitudes when it was explained.
When it comes to numbers of livestock that must be raised for a diverse gene pool in a heritage breed, the researchers say it is about one-third of the current population. While that is tens and hundreds of thousands of hogs that must be maintained, the researchers say it is an achievable number that could stop the loss of genetic diversity, and within the framework of 55.6 million hogs produced in the US last year, the number is relatively small.
Summary:
The loss of diversity in the US swine gene pool jeopardizes the ability to fight future health problems, but the maintenance of heritage breed herds provides sources for solutions. Since heritage breeds are less efficient in production, costs are higher and those will have to be borne by the consumer, who indicates they would be willing to pay premium prices for traits that the heritage breeds provide. Maintenance of heritage breed herds may involve hundreds of thousands of animals to supply the genetic diversity, but that is a small number compared to total swine produced, and could be maintained with marketing and promotional programs.
Posted by Stu Ellis on September 3, 2007 12:26 AM to farmgate