TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1977
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BETTER QUALITY PORK THROUGH CROSS-BREEDING
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LOCAL PIG BREEDERS ARE NOW ABLE TO SUPPLY BETTER QUALITY PORK TO CONSUMERS THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF EXPERTS OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, WHO ARE ENGAGED IN PIG ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION SERVICES WHICH FULLY UTILISE THE POTENTIAL OF GENETICALLY SUPERIOR BOARS.
UNDER AN EXPERIMENTAL SCHEME DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE PIG QUALITY OF THE LOCAL PIG INDUSTRY, EXPERTS AT TA KWU LING ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION CENTRE HAVE FOR MANY YEARS SUCCESSFULLY CARRIED OUT ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION ON LOCAL
PIGS WITH SEMEN COLLECTED FROM HIGH PEDIGREE BREEDS OF LARGE WHITE AND LANDRACE WHICH WERE SPECIALLY INTRODUCED TO HONG KONG FROM BRITAIN AND AUSTRALIA FOR CROSS-BREEDING PURPOSE.
EXPERTS COLLECT SEMEN FROM IMPORTED PIGS AT TA KWU LING ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION CENTRE AND EXAMINE THE SEMEN BY CHECK ING THE SPERM ACTIVITY, DENSITY AND FOR ABNORMALITIES.
THE SEMEN IS THEN DILUTED AND STORED AT A TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN 15 AND 20 DEGREES CELSIUS FOR USE. THE DILUTED SEMEN IS ALSO DELIVERED TO CASTLE PEAK, SAI KUNG AND SILVER MINE BAY ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION SUB-CENTRES.
A SPOKESMAN OF THE CENTRE SAID THAT THE VIABLE PERIOD OF COLLECTED SEMEN IS ABOUT THREE DAYS. THE PROCESS TO INSEMINATE SOW IS SIMPLE, QUICK AND ECONOMICAL.
THE LARGE WHITE AND LANDRACE BREEDS HAVE BETTER MEAT QUALITY, HIGHER FOOD CONVERSION RATE WHILE THE LOCAL PIGS SHOW A HIGHER CONCEPTION RATE, ARE MORE PROLIFIC AND MORE ADAPTABLE TO LOCAL CONDITIONS.
THE SCHEME HAS PROVED TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND POPULAR AMONG LOCAL PIG BREEDERS SO MUCH THAT 10,000 ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION SERVICES WERE PERFORMED LAST YEAR.
THE DEMAND FOR THIS SERVICE IS ON THE INCREASE, AND DURING THE LAST FOUR MONTHS, OVER 4,000 REQUESTS WERE RECEIVED.
IN ADDITION, LARGE WHITE AND LANDRACE PIGS WERE SOLD TO PIG BREEDERS AT A SUBSIDIZED PRICE FOR BREEDING. MORE THAN 700 HEADS WERE SOLD LAST YEAR, AN ALMOST 100 PERCENT INCREASE OVER THE 1975 FIGURE.
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