Delta II breaks ground in Manitoba

Topigs Norsvin invests in new central test station with CT scan in Canada

Topigs Norsvin is investing CAD $15 million in a new testing facility in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The new testing facility, Delta II, will test boars of the Z line (dam line) and Tempo (sire line). The new station in Canada has twice the capacity as the original Delta test station in Norway, where Norsvin Landrace and Norsvin Duroc are tested. Just like the station in Norway, Delta II is equipped with a CT scanner. The facility will become operational in summer 2018.

Delta II will be the central point of a new breeding structure in Canada. Each year, seven existing SPF nucleus farms will deliver young boars aged 4-6 weeks old to special isolation nurseries. Their health will be checked and they will be genotyped. The top 50% of animals (those with the highest genetic breeding values) will go on to further testing at Delta II, which is located about 30 km away from the nurseries. The new testing facility is equipped with IFIR stations to monitor individual feed intake of all boars during the test. The boars will be CT scanned.

Both the test station and the nurseries are constructed in areas with low pig density. Together with high biosecurity protocols on the farms, strict transportation rules, and high levels of health monitoring the highest health status is ensured, making it possible to export genetics (semen and boars) to almost every country in the world.

‘This new test station will substantially increase the genetic progress in our Z line and Tempo. It is part of our strategy to double genetic progress in the next years. Besides improving the accuracy of our testing it will allow us to improve faster because we can shorten the generation interval,’ explains Chief Technical Officer Hans Olijslagers. ‘It also means that we can deliver the best genetics to our clients sooner, as we can now export the very best boars and semen faster and more easily to their production units.’

Information for the press:
For further information please contact:
Peter Loenen
Communication manager
Telephone + 31 411 648846
Email peter.loenen @ topigsnorsvin.com

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