Plans Being Advanced for Swine Research Facility

To make the local pork industry more competitive, the Government is advancing plans to modernise the swine research infrastructure, says Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Franklyn Witter.

Delivering the keynote address at the Jamaica Pig Farmers Association’s 24th Annual General Meeting, at the Kendal Camp and Conference Centre in Manchester on Thursday (September 24), Mr. Witter said a major component of the initiative is the construction of a modern 150-sow swine research facility at the Bodles Research Station in St. Catherine.

He said the facility is intended to address a significant gap in swine research and will support research, technology transfer and commercialisation initiatives aimed at improving the efficiency and competitiveness of the local pork industry.

The 47,000 square foot facility is being developed at a revised cost of approximately $460.6 million and is expected to include a finisher barn, gestation facilities, nursery, boar barn, biodigester, road network and water storage system.

According to Mr. Witter, the project forms part of a five-year development plan for the modernisation of the Ministry’s Swine Multiplication Unit. He said the plan was developed following assessments involving key stakeholders, including the Jamaica Pig Farmers Association, which identified modern research infrastructure as an important requirement for the continued development of the sector.

He said the research programme will focus on four major areas, including technology-driven research in pig genetics and breeding stock; emerging trends in the industry; nutritional alternatives and climate-smart technologies; and opportunities for income generation.

The State Minister said these areas are intended to help farmers improve productivity, while responding to changing conditions within the industry.

Mr. Witter said the Ministry’s Swine Multiplication Unit also has responsibility for the conservation and development of local pig breeds, including Large White and Landrace, while serving as a source of imported breeding stock.

He acknowledged that infrastructural limitations have constrained the pace of research but said the modern facility is expected to provide improved conditions for planned and controlled studies that can benefit private-sector producers.

The State Minister said the Government does not intend to pursue pork imports as a substitute for strengthening domestic production but will, instead, support measures to improve the competitiveness of local farmers.

He said the new research facility is expected to help move the industry beyond self-sufficiency towards greater competitiveness regionally and internationally, while contributing to lower production costs, improved productivity and foreign exchange savings.

The State Minister projected that within the first five to 10 years, the facility could have a direct annual impact of approximately $768 million to $1.2 billion through foreign exchange retention and reductions in production costs.