CHIFENG, China ¨C Tiny slivers of ear tissue snipped from hours-old piglets offer valuable clues for the team at Best Genetics Group (BGG) as it strives to improve the genetics of China¡¯s hog herd to produce cheaper meat for the world¡¯s top pork consumer.
Breeding pigs that have larger litters, reach slaughter weight quicker and require less feed can make a big difference in a market producing almost 700 million hogs a year.
BGG is among about 100 farms enrolled in just such a state-led endeavor to wean China off imported stock and breed a self-sustaining herd to feed its 1.4 billion people.
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