How Genomic Tools are Helping Pork Producers Breed Healthier Hogs

Alberta may be famous for its beef, but the province is also home to a thriving pork sector. Canada is the third largest global pork exporter, and approx. 20% of that pork is raised here in Alberta. Healthy pigs are foundational to this success, and genomic tools are helping pig breeders maximize pig health and reduce the impact of disease on animal welfare. As demand for protein grows both here and around the world, maintaining healthy, productive herds is a high priority for the pork industry. Disease resilience, the ability to be minimally affected by disease or to rapidly return to normal after pathogenic infection, has become an area of particular interest for pork producers and breeders. Improving the disease resilience of our nation’s pork could have wide-ranging benefits: Better for pigs: Staying healthy means a better quality of life for animals too. No one enjoys being sick, and the same is true for livestock suffering from illness. Improved disease resilience means pigs ge