Science and economics align for swine sustainability

(from left) Dr Carlo Maala, Dr Michael Quilitis, Dr Sherwin Abuel, Dr Rommel Sulabo, and Dr Jomar Castro

Looking back, moving forward in animal health

Carlo Maala, a noted swine practitioner in the region, traced the evolution of swine health management, from medication-heavy programs to modern diagnostics and biosecurity systems.

Dr Maala emphasized the industry’s shift toward preventive health and precision medicine, reducing reliance on antibiotics.

He highlighted biosecurity protocols and innovative diagnostics as central to herd resilience. Producers, he urged, must embrace these tools while drawing lessons from past disease outbreaks.

Fertility begins with gilt management

Attention then turned to reproduction, with swine production consultant Michael Quilitis underscoring the pivotal role of gilt development in herd performance.

He explained how nutrition, vaccination schedules, and structured management systems directly shape reproductive efficiency.

Dr Quilitis also pointed to sample size calculations and breeding company recommendations as practical tools for data-driven decision-making. Drawing comparisons with practices in Vietnam, Italy, India, and the US, he stressed that while global insights are valuable, strategies must remain cost-effective and adapted to local realities.

The race to 35 @ 70

Swine practitioner Sherwin Abuel brought the discussion down to the farm level with his talk on achieving 35kg at 70 days, a benchmark known as ’35 @ 70’.

He advised participants to optimize feeding programs, adjust corn inclusion rates, and tighten biosecurity to reduce mortality.

Dr Abuel stressed that hitting this target is not just about technical know-how—it requires discipline in daily farm management. His presentation blended technical detail with farm-level wisdom, showing how producers can translate performance targets into achievable outcomes.

Nutrition as the backbone of sustainability

Closing the technical program, Rommel Sulabo, professor at the Institute of Animal Science at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, tackled the complexities of swine nutrition in the age of modern genetics.

He noted that while sows now produce larger litters of 15-20 piglets, their reduced appetite poses challenges for milk yield and piglet survival.

Dr Sulabo, an expert in swine nutrition, advocated for specialized diets for replacement gilts, with higher calcium, phosphorus, and micronutrient levels to support reproductive longevity. He explained that replacement diets often require 85% of the nutrient density of market diets, designed for sustainability rather than rapid growth.

Nutrition tailored to genetics and life stage, he argued, is the backbone of productivity and sustainability in both local and global contexts.

A collective call

The GAFA seminar-workshop concluded with a strong call for collaboration among producers, researchers, and agribusiness stakeholders. By weaving together animal health, gilt management, farm-level strategies, and nutrition, the event highlighted how science and economics together can shape a more sustainable swine industry in the Philippines and across Asia.