Page 18 - Australian Pork Newspaper

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US pork lobby asks for simpler regulations for genetically altered livestock
THE US pork lobby said on June 26 that more must be done to simplify regulations for geneti- cally altered livestock, weeks after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to streamline the review process for agricultural technology.
Trump, who was elected in 2016 with broad sup- port from farmers, signed the order in Iowa on June 11 and said it would speed up reviews of biotechnol- ogy.
The US National Pork Producers Council had hoped the order would relax how the US Food and Drug Administration regulates gene editing, a technology that could be used to alter pigs to resist disease.
The agency “inaccurate-
ly classifies livestock as drugs and farms as drug- manufacturing facilities” the council said in a state- ment.
However, the FDA told the council it thinks its approach to gene editing is already in line with Trump’s executive order, according to lawyer for the pork group Andrew Bailey.
The FDA told Reuters it is working to implement the order and wants to avoid unnecessary barri- ers to innovation in plant and animal biotechnol- ogy.
The agency said it does not regulate animals as drugs, but regulates in- tentional alterations to ge- nomes in animals.
FDA regulation could lead to a lengthy and ex- pensive process for re-
searchers and companies to gain US approval for gene-edited hogs, accord- ing to the National Pork Producers Council.
That could put the US at risk of falling behind sup- pliers like Canada, Brazil and China, the group said.
Unlike traditional ge- netically modified organ- isms, in which a gene is added from another or- ganism, gene editing works like the find-and- replace function on a word processor.
It finds a gene and then makes changes by amend- ing or deleting it.
Scientists can edit ge- nomes more precisely and rapidly than ever before, and altered agricultural products could get to market more quickly and cheaply.
The National Pork Pro-
ducers Council wants the US Department of Ag- riculture rather than the FDA to regulate gene ed- iting in livestock.
Pig farmers globally are battling diseases like African swine fever and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, which can kill animals or increase the use of drugs in livestock.
Dan Kovich, deputy director of science and technology for the coun- cil, said the FDA needs “to go back to the draw- ing board” regarding its approach to gene editing.
Kovich said the pork lobby was working with the Trump administra- tion “to discuss ways to move forward and frankly make sure the FDA hears and understands our con- cerns.”
Photo: National Hog Farmer
The effect of water
quality on pig
performance
WATER is considered by most swine nutrition- ists to be the most im- portant of all nutrients required by pigs.
At birth, water makes up about 82 percent of the pig’s body weight and steadily declines to about 50 percent for a pig at market weight.
While water is a vital component of any live- stock diet, the question re- mains; does the quality of drinking water influence health and performance of pigs?
University of Minneso- ta researchers are set to address this question by looking at the impact of water quality on animal performance, gut health, and liveability of nursery pigs.
Many producers ensure water is available and fresh; however, little is known about the effect of water quality on pig performance.
This project will com- pare three different water sources (two deemed bad, and one good) when fed to nursery pigs.
Through a series of video recordings, water sample collection, and data analysis, research- ers will dive deeper into how water quality might influence pig behaviour, gut function and immune system function.
The study will be con- ducted at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Centre, Morris, Minne- sota.
The need for such a study was raised by pro- ducer concerns and ech-
oed by the Minnesota Pork Board.
Christensen Farms di- rector of research and de- velopment Brent Freder- ick said, “Water quality is an important factor within livestock production, and often receives too little attention.”
“While we focus on the essentials of our pigs eve- ry day, in providing them feed, air and water, this re- search will allow us to fully understand the effects that water quality may have on the overall performance of our animals.”
The research team will also evaluate the range of water qualities currently being consumed in the Minnesota pork industry; such a data set currently does not exist for Min- nesota or any other state.
The results of the project will provide a more thor- ough understanding of gut function, which may allow producers to imple- ment feeding programs that encourage improved gut integrity, reduce nega- tive impacts of pathogens in the gut, and therefore keep pigs healthy with less need for antibiotics.
Improved pig perform- ance and health will also reduce the carbon foot- print of pork production which also garners sup- port from customers.
Very likely, results of this project will have ap- plicability to other live- stock species.
Funding for this project is being provided by the University of Minnesota, Minnesota Pork Board and Christensen Farms.
Page 18 – Australian Pork Newspaper, July 2019
www.porknews.com.au