Comparison of production systems for efficient use of indigenous pig breeds in developing countries

Conserving pig genetic resources and improving their productivity is important to increase returns over investment in developing countries. The purebred, first-cross, rotational cross and backcross matings representing production systems based on pig breeds indigenous to the country and exotic pig breeds were investigated. The number of pigs in the nucleus and commercial herds necessary to produce a defined quantity of pork was considered. The amount of heterosis between the indigenous and exotic breeds, superiority in meat production, and degree of inferiority in reproductive performance of the exotic breed compared with that of the indigenous breed were investigated. The number of breeding pigs in the whole system was in the following order: pure breeding (PB) > first-cross (F1) > rotational cross (RC) > backcross (BC) systems. The number of breeding pigs in the nucleus herds of the RC and BC systems was smaller than that in the nucleus herds of the PB and F1 systems. The degree of inferiority in reproductive performance of the exotic breed compared with that of the indigenous breed affected the efficiency of the production system.