annual report 09/10 - Apri.com.au

Pork CRC LimitedA study in South Australia by Tony Edwardsin more commercial facilities confirmed theexcellent performance capabilities of Australiangenetics under what might be termed real worldconditions. Together, these and results fromother commercial participants leave little doubtthat in terms of growth performance, geneticsalone are not a constraint to the efficiency ofpork production in Australia and this representsa major advance in our understanding of thecapabilities of locally available genetics.In animal health, researchers from Industry& Investment NSW and Murdoch Universitydeveloped new diagnostic tools for Ileitis andswine dysentery respectively, while Dr ToniChapman continues to develop high technologyprobiotics against pathogenic E coli. Outcomesfrom these projects are exciting and should beavailable to industry in 2010-2011.There have also been some fascinating researchoutcomes from Pork CRC PhD student, MeganEdwards, whose PhD is on the effects ofnutrition at and around weaning on the longerterm performance and health of pigs. Shehas found that even limited experience of dryfeed before weaning can improve piglet gutdevelopment and health and survival afterweaning. Megan also showed that includingspray dried porcine plasma at 5% in the dietoffered pigs one week before and one weekafter weaning, markedly enhanced gut anddigestive capacity and improved survival,especially in gilt progeny, before and afterweaning. The findings have important scientificand commercial implications and demonstratethe effects of creep feeding extend beyondsimply the performance of pigs before and afterweaning.Program 3 again delivered several excitingoutcomes in the last year. University of SouthAustralia researchers reported that includingpork in the diets of overweight subjects had noadverse effects on cardio vascular health, butresulted in significant weight and body fat loss,compared to subjects on their normal diets.University of Sydney researchers reported thatpork increased the feeling of well being in youngwomen and tended to enhance concentrationsof serum vitamins B6 and B12. The researchersalso found that including pork in the dietof young women maintained haemoglobinlevels to the same extent as a low-dose ironsupplementation.The outcomes have, so far, all been verypositive and will help address the perception ofpork as a less healthy meat. More importantly,the results suggest there is something aboutpork and that it may have health advantagesover other meats for humans. New researchprojects aimed at increasing the iron contentof pork and better understanding the effectsof pork on weight loss and maintenance havebeen commissioned by the Pork CRC.My highlight of the last 12 months was theperformance of our students and researchers atthe Australasian Pig Science Association (APSA).The Pork CRC held its annual conference anda student workshop at Cairns, in conjunctionwith APSA, in November 2009. Of 104 paperspublished in the APSA proceedings, 70 werefrom Pork CRC projects. One of our honoursstudents, Amy Lealiifano, also won the APSAmedal for the best first-time presentation atAPSA and the Pork CRC APSA award for thebest presentation on a Pork CRC supportedresearch project. The competition was tight andeveryone was very impressed by the quality ofthe research and how the students presentedit. They were very professional and all involvedwith the Pork CRC were very proud. A numberof Pork CRC students have subsequently joinedthe pork industry in various roles and the future,as far as having smart people who will make adifference, looks good.6