Genus PIC stocks first GreenFarm multipliers in Vietnam
The development of PIC’s partnership with GreenFarm, a subsidiary of local agribusiness powerhouse GreenFeed, is progressing on schedule. They have announced the successful completion of a series of exports from North America to Vietnam to populate two new multiplication units and an AI facility.
A total of 1,348 great-grandparent and grandparent females and 70 boars were flown in four consignments in the last quarter of 2012 to destinations in the north and south of the country. The farms, in Hung Yen and Binh Thuan provinces, will jump-start parent gilt production to complement the growing semen sales from PIC males stationed at GreenFarm’s 500-boar stud in Dong Nai. And to improve semen availability to producers in the north, the company has established a new AI facility in Hung Yen to house the recently imported boars.
PIC also reports that Patrick Ty has relocated to Vietnam to take up the role of Technical Director of the project. Prior to this assignment, Patrick was the Production Director at PIC Philippines for 6 years. It was during this time that he first met the team from GreenFeed and played a part in laying the foundations for the agreement between the companies that was consummated in July 2012.
Patrick said “It’s been a hectic few months to get the farms’ construction completed in time to receive the pigs but the GreenFarm team really pulled out the stops to get it done. We’re looking forward to have the first gilts available for sale later in the year – producers are already eager to buy them, having seen the results from the male side of the PIC equation. Meanwhile, the focus is now on the construction of the first 1,200 nucleus facility that we plan to stock in mid-2013, and development of further multiplication farms.”
Vietnam’s national herd is estimated at around 3.5m sows, which puts it second only to China in the regional rankings. Supported by government policy, pig production is modernizing and moving away from the traditional backyard base to specialized semi-industrial and industrial farms. In spite of modest per capita GDP, pork is extremely popular and average annual consumption is 23kg per head. All these factors converge to make it a very attractive emerging market for PIC’s signature genetics.
