Report+on+Potential+Research+on+Pig+Genetics

Karen Marshall & Max Rothschild, 21/04/15

__Background __

Supported by the L&F “Discovery to Delivery” funds for the Vietnam pork value chain, a scoping trip was performed to identify areas of L&F engagement on pig genetic resource use in Vietnam.

This scoping trip was performed by Karen Marshall (ILRI) and Max Rothschild (Iowa State University), with support from the ILRI Vietnam team and Huyen Le Thi from the Vietnamese National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS). The trip took place 17-22nd November 2014, and comprised meetings with key research organisations and other actors located in Northern Vietnam, as well as a field trip to the Nghe An province (a L&F target site) where a variety of stakeholders were visited. See Annex 1 for full details.

__Brief on pig genetic resource use in Vietnam __

Vietnam is a developing country in South East Asia which produces nearly 28 million pigs annually with most production (about 70%) coming from a from a variety of smallholder production systems.

There are numerous different actors that are heavily engaged in the supply of pig breeding material to smallholders in Vietnam including research institutes, government departments, and the private sector.

A key research institute in the north of Vietnam is the National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS). NIAS is involved in running pig breeding programs (they have 3 pig research farms), breed comparison studies (currently two large trails, one station based focused on exotic breed / cross-breeds, and one in-situ based focused on indigenous breeds), some meat quality research (attached to the breed comparison studies), and some candidate gene studies. Another key research institute in the north of Vietnam is the Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA; formerly Hanoi University of Agriculture), however this institute has limited engagement in pig genetic resource use.

Key government departments are MARD (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development – policy setting), provincial level breeding centres (provide administrative support to breeding activities in the province, support some community based breed maintenance programs), and district level breeding centres (provide artificial insemination services and district level support to community based breed maintenance programs).

The private sector key actors include breeding companies (large-scale), multiplier units (medium and small scale), private AI providers (small scale, some with own boars, some acting as distributors without own boars), and village boar keepers.

Vietnam has multiple breeds / cross-breeds of pigs including about 15 local breeds, numerous exotic breeds (predominantly Landrace, Large White, Pietran and Duroc), and various crosses between these. In the north, Mong Cai or Mong Cai crosses are commonly used as a maternal line – by all reports Mong Cai appears to be a well-adapted and highly reproductive improved local breed. NIAS was also experimenting with the use of Meishan pigs from China as a maternal line, however this work is still in early stages.

__Identified areas of R4D __

Given the number of actors already involved in the supply of pig genetic material, and the breadth of research and development activities on pig genetic resource use - either previously undertaken or currently being undertaken - an area of R4D engagement producing wide-spread impact in the short-term (such as the introduction of exotic pig breeds did) does not easily present itself. However, a number of interesting research areas with potential for more moderate levels of impact were identified, as summarised in Table 1 below.

It is anticipated that ILRI, ISU and NIAS will jointly develop the one or more of the ‘high interest’ research topics listed in the table below into a full proposal, as funding opportunities present themselves.

__Table 1. Identified promising engagement areas on pig genetic resource use __


 * Topic || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Up-stream / applied || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Potential impact || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Funding level, USD,

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">(best guess) || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Overall interest- ISU || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Interest ILRI || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Interest NIAS – <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">farming systems department || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Interest NIAS – <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">animal breeding department || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Comments ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">HIGHEST INTEREST ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Interaction of breed x feed x animal health, where indicator of animal health is gut microbiome, and promotion of identified best feeding practice || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">In-between || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Good, longer term || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">$500,000 – but scaleable || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">ILRI / ISU: Novel yet applied, requires access to research station; NIAS FS: the ecolocgical zone should also be considered ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Improving the reproductive potential of the Mong Cai maternal breed-line, by increasing the frequency of the known candidate genes including (ESR, PRL, RBP4) || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">In-between || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Difficult to access until allele frequencies are known || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">$20,000 for initial test of allele frequency; $500,000 for full project but scaleable || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Medium || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">ILRI / ISU: the initial study could focus on allele ferquencies

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">NIAS breeding: some candidate genes related to reproduction traits such as ESR and PRLR etc. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Identification of resilience differences associated with selection signatures in the local breeds, assessment of potential use of underlying genes in future breed development || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Upstream || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Difficult to assess but potential for high impact if new genes for resilience identified, medium term || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">$500,000 - but scaleable. More if bio-repository component is included || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Medium || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">high || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">ILRI / ISU: Can be coupled with a) creation national bio-repository for local pig breeds b) breed mapping (geo-graphic)

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">ILRI: needs to complement ongoing pig genomics research already being undertaken via the L&F genetics flagship around underlying genes for immune traits ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Study on constraints to sow / boars expressing their full reproductive potential, as well as AI service provision effectiveness, followed by capacity building on the same. || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Applied || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High, short term || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">$200,000 || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">high || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Medium ||  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">MEDIUM INTEREST ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Comparison of maternal breed lines, and strengthening access to the most appropriate maternal breed line || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Applied || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Fair - high, medium term || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">$1.5 -2,000,000 || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Medium || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Medium || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Medium || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High ||  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Development and promotion of a synthetic maternal breed-line for the smallholder system || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Applied || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High, long term || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">$2,500 000+ || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Low || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Medium || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">high || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">high || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">ILRI / ISU: Very long term. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Breed focused market study – available markets, market requirements (collector / trader animal preferences, producers perceptions of these), fit of available animals to market, to inform future breeding interventions || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Applied || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">?? Depends on outcomes, feeds into other studies || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">$50,000 || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Medium-low || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High for new sites; low for sites where data is already available || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">High || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">Medium || <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">ILRI: Components of this already well covered for selected provinces by ACIAR smallholder pig competitiveness project, for selected provinces

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;">NIAS FS: should also include the linkage between state, private enterprise, and policy makers with the mentioned stakeholders ||

Annex 1. Scoping trip details

__<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Meetings 17/11/14 – 19/11/14, in conjunction with Max Rothschild and Fred Unger / Lucy Laper for certain meetings __
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Nguyen Thi Thanh An **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> - ACIAR acting country manager, Vietnam: an.nguyen@aciar.gov.au
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Dr Ngo Thi Kim Cuc **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> – Director, Animal Breeding and Genetics Department, National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS): cucngokim@yahoo.com
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Dr Hai **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> – Deputy Head of Pig Research Centre, NIAS: hai1974vn@gmail.com
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Dr Vu Dinh Ton **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> – Dean, Faculty of Animal Science & Aquaculture, Vietnam National University of Agriculture (formerly Hanoi University of Agriculture, HUA): vdton@vnua.edu.vn
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Dr Do Duc Luc **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> - Head, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics (within Faculty of Animal Science & Aquaculture) Vietnam National University of Agriculture (formerly Hanoi University of Agriculture, HUA): ddluc@vnua.edu.vn
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Dr Kieu DInh Thep **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">– Assistant Vice President, C.P. Vietnam (CP is the largest commercial pig company in Vietnam): thep@cp.com.vn

__<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Field Trip 20/11/14-22/11/14, in conjunction with Max Rothschild, Fred Unger, Huyen Le Thi __
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Facilitator: Dr Thi Le Huyen **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> – Deputy Director, Farming Systems and Economics, NIAS: lehuyen1973@yahoo.com


 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Day 1: Du Luong district **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Visit to provincial level breeding centre – courtesy visit with director
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Visit to Thai Doung pig breeding company – discussion with company head and technical staff
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Visit to large-scale pig multiplier unit – discussion with company head & tour
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Visit to members of Mong Cai breeders co-operative
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Visit to district level breeding centre
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Day 2: Yen Thanh district **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Focus group discussion with men and women smallholder pig producers – facilitated by Huyen Le Thi
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Visit to small scale village boar keeper
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Visit to sire keeper also performing AI
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Day 3: Nam Dam district **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Visit to smallhold pig producers of different scale, and operation type (piglet producers, piglet fatteners, full scale) – some involved in LIFSAP project, others not.