My recent visits to Ecuador and to China on trade missions indicate that Canada, and Alberta, are currently considered excellent sources of breeding stock. Our high health status allows us to meet the entry levels for export and our genetic selection program through the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement shows high performance levels in growth rate, average backfat, loin area and sow productivity. Estimated breeding value (EBV) indices are above average, so as to provide a genetic benefit to commercial hog producers above $1.60/hog. Several Chinese provinces have a stated goal for hog expansion as well as for hog carcass quality improvement. Ecuador sees value in expanding the "technified" sow base so as to produce superior meat quality for sale in supermarkets. PEAK looks forward to contributing to the improvement of those sow herds in both countries.

Hog prices are still low relative to the cost of production. Average hog price for the year in Alberta was $1.31, with a high of $1.59 in May and a low of $1.11 at the end of October.

Recent probing of boars and gilts at our nucleus herds has identified animals with extremely large loins. Landrace boar JAKE 5501N has a loin depth of 74.1 mm (46.8 sq cm) while Landrace boar GWYN 4061N’s is 68.8 mm (42.8 sq cm). Yorkshire gilt JAKE 5604N has a loin depth of 71.4 mm (48.1 sq cm) and Yorkshire gilt GWYN 1615N has a loin depth of 70.8 mm (46.1 sq cm). Improvements are being made on a regular basis as animals are probed into the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement database.

Our sincere thanks and appreciation to all our clients for their business transactions during 2003!

Clear Lake Colony’s shipment of hogs to OLYMEL included 79 animals with 62.1 mm loin depth and 43.0 mm spread. Their animals are being fed for a different market, so that large loin depths are not necessarily being developed for OLYMEL.

Lacombe boar BL 1773N at Bloomsbury Farms combines 7.4 mm backfat with 154 days and 64.9% estimated lean yield to achieve a 152 EBV index. Lacombes are bred to Durocs to give us the powerful Trailblazer boars.

Bench Colony weaned 11.2 and 10.8 pigs/litter over the last two weeks from their ten litters/week.

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