Professional paper
SITUATION AND DIRECTIONS OF PIG BREEDDING WITH SPECIAL REVIEW TO EASTERN CROATIA
Gordana Kralik
; Poljoprivredni fakultet Sveučilišta u Osijeku, Osijek, Hrvatska
Vladimir Margeta
; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Zoran Luković
; Poljoprivredni fakultet Sveučilišta u Osijeku, Osijek, Hrvatska
Igor Kralik
; Poljoprivredni fakultet Sveučilišta u Osijeku, Osijek, Hrvatska
Abstract
Pig breeding in eastern Croatia is a significant branch of agricultural production. Pork is an important source of nutrients in the diet of the population. Modern pig production is based on the quality of production types and hybrid pigs that have high production results, especially in terms of thickness and weight gain intensity. This production is organized on modern farms in which the high genetic potential of pigs in terms of economic and slaughter traits are maximally exploited. At pig farms in the five counties of eastern Croatia there are 18,227 breeding sows under selection. The most common are hybrid sows PIC (56.94%) and Topigs (32.89%). The autochthonous Black Slavonian pig is the most numerous (4.20%) than the other pure breeds and their crosses. In addition to large farms, a significant part of pig production takes place on small family farms, which are generally difficult to cope with the demands of today's market. Entering the EU many opportunities open for improving pig sector, both in large production systems, as well as on family farms. This paper describes the main systems of pig keeping in our territory, and production models and solutions that will allow to organization of pig production in accordance with the laws and the needs, but in the spirit of sustainable pig production of the market in the future. Special emphasis is placed on the pig production in accordance to criteria of welfare and animal health, the implementation of good husbandry practice and breeding which is in the function of protecting of natural resources and ecosystems. Paper also describes the production of enriched value-added products that have the characteristics of functional foods, as well as traditional high-quality pork products, whose production can significantly determine the profitability of pig production in the future. Enrichment of pork with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic, and with trace element selenium, puts it in the animal food that suits the modern human nutrition recommendations.
Keywords
pigs; production systems; welfare; meat; functional food
Hrčak ID:
118114
URI
Publication date:
10.2.2014.
Visits: 2.096 *