Cost-efficient community-driven breeding programs for local pig breeds in Northwest Vietnam

In villages of Northwest Vietnam, a community-based breeding program is being implemented that serves distinct supply chains for pork from local pig breeds. The present study evaluated different selection scenarios for an effective breeding program under the specific framework conditions of smallholder pig production in the uplands of Northwest Vietnam. One- and two-step selection scenarios were considered for two nucleus populations of the local Ban and Mong Cai breeds. Two scenarios additionally considered the use of marker information on the estrogen receptor gene (ESR) in the Ban breed. The breeding planning calculations were performed with the software ZPLAN which is based on the gene flow and selection index methodology. In a deterministic approach, ZPLAN calculates genetic gains for breeding objective traits as well as the breeding profit sow−1 in a defined period. Selected input parameters were varied to identify optimum levels to ensure the profitability of the breeding program. The most promising option with regard to economic viability and acceptable genetic gains is two-step selection. However, the population size in the breeding program has to be increased. One-step selection can also lead to acceptable genetic gains and economic success, but again only by increasing the population size parallel to a reduction in the nucleus size as well as the productive lifetime of nucleus sows. Using marker information on the ESR gene for selection in the Ban breed in the first selection step improves the genetic trend in number of piglets born alive (NBA). The use of marker information in the breeding program, however, seems questionable due to high costs, particularly because conventional index selection is supposed to also increase the frequency of the preferred ESR B allele in the Ban breed.