The Brazilian Context
Brazil is one of the world’s largest pork producers and exporters, driven by a fast-evolving industry focused on efficiency and efficiency and cost competitiveness. Variations in climate, feed raw materials, and health challenges put pressure on production costs, making genetic efficiency increasingly valuable. The market is characterized by high-performing integrated systems, large-scale finishing units, and strong pressure on production efficiency both domestically and in export markets. Under these conditions, feed efficiency and robustness are key factors for competitiveness.
Recently, benchmarking trials in Brazil compared feed efficiency and carcass quality of TN Duroc to major competitor sire lines.
Text and video: Marte Heieraas Evju, Content Marketing, Global Marketing & Communications Team (Email)
Summary: Feed efficiency is more than just finisher feed conversion. It is about total system efficiency, from sow longevity to piglet robustness. High total feed efficiency must be achieved across the entire production cycle and remain consistent through variations in management systems, climate, and feed resources. In Brazil, TN Duroc genetics was put to the test, evaluated under real commercial conditions, and compared directly with other major sire lines.
Our goal was to understand how TN Duroc performs under the same conditions as the most common competitor lines in Brazil, with the same feed, management, and environment.
Trial Design and Technology
A total of three benchmarking trials were conducted over a year period. Each animal was weighed individually and monitored through automated feeding systems to ensure precise feed intake measurement. The benchmarking farm in Brazil is equipped with the latest technology for accurate data collection: four silos, four automatic feeding lines, and 18 out of 25 pens have feeding stations.
The trial designs included two boars per sire line per batch, with four batches per trial. Data collected covered individual weight, feed intake, backfat and loin depth, primal weights, color and marbling scores. Statistical analysis corrected for batch, sire line, pen, sex, parity, and starting weight.
Competing in a Cost-Driven Market
André Costa, Regional Director at Topigs Norsvin, shares his perspective on how TN70 and TN Duroc combine feed efficiency, robustness, and meat quality under commercial Brazilian conditions.
Figure 1: TN Duroc shows a consistently lower feed conversion ratio compared with the main competitor line throughout the finishing period. Lower FCR means less feed required per kg of growth.
Figure 2: TN Duroc maintains strong growth performance with higher total daily gain compared to the main competitor line.
Results: Efficiency and Quality Combined
Across multiple trials, TN Duroc achieved a significantly better feed conversion ratio and daily gain compared to the three competitor lines (Figure 1 and 2). These results were consistent and statistically significant (P < 0.05) across batches.
The performance advantage was visible throughout the entire finishing period. TN Duroc maintained a consistently lower feed conversion ratio compared to the main competitor line, meaning less feed was required per kilogram of growth. As feed represents the largest cost in pig production, even small improvements in feed efficiency translate directly into economic benefits for producers.
Growth curves based on weekly measurements showed that TN Duroc maintained a steady performance advantage throughout the finishing period. TN Duroc also maintained strong growth performance, with higher cumulative total daily gain compared to the main competitor line.
Carcass characteristics were evaluated on animals with live weights close to the batch average to ensure a fair comparison between sire lines. In addition to superior feed efficiency and growth, TN Duroc also demonstrated excellent carcass and meat quality results, showing better color and marbling and a balanced primal weight distribution.
“Brazilian producers are used to focusing mainly on feed efficiency” says Lopes. “But TN Duroc shows that efficiency and quality can go hand in hand. That combination adds real value.”
Technicians measure backfat and loin depth to assess carcass traits and compare genetic performance between sire lines.
Data collected covered individual weight, feed intake, backfat and loin depth, primal weights, color and marbling scores.
Results: Efficiency and Quality Combined
Across multiple trials, TN Duroc achieved a significantly better feed conversion ratio and daily gain compared to the three competitor lines (Figure 1 and 2). These results were consistent and statistically significant (P < 0.05) across batches.
The performance advantage was visible throughout the entire finishing period. TN Duroc maintained a consistently lower feed conversion ratio compared to the main competitor line, meaning less feed was required per kilogram of growth. As feed represents the largest cost in pig production, even small improvements in feed efficiency translate directly into economic benefits for producers.
Growth curves based on weekly measurements showed that TN Duroc maintained a steady performance advantage throughout the finishing period. TN Duroc also maintained strong growth performance, with higher cumulative total daily gain compared to the main competitor line.
Carcass characteristics were evaluated on animals with live weights close to the batch average to ensure a fair comparison between sire lines. In addition to superior feed efficiency and growth, TN Duroc also demonstrated excellent carcass and meat quality results, showing better color and marbling and a balanced primal weight distribution.
“Brazilian producers are used to focusing mainly on feed efficiency” says Lopes. “But TN Duroc shows that efficiency and quality can go hand in hand. That combination adds real value.”
A Breeding Approach for Total Feed Efficiency
Topigs Norsvin breeds for feed efficiency by applying advanced tools and protocols that go beyond simple feed conversion measurements. For more than 30 years, the company has used IFIR stations (Individual Feed Intake Registration). Today, individual feed intake and daily gain are recorded on a large scale across Topigs Norsvin’s nucleus and testing farms.
Thanks to this balanced breeding approach, high total feed efficiency is achieved across the entire production cycle. The focus is not only on feed conversion rate but also on minimizing losses by breeding robust pigs that show resilience to environmental challenges.
Advancing Beyond Traditional Feed Efficiency
Topigs Norsvin continues to work on new ways of improving feed efficiency. The company is exploring multiple innovative approaches:
1. Protein digestibility
Research has shown that a pig’s ability to digest and utilize protein is heritable, and can be incorporated into Topigs Norsvin’s breeding programs. Selection for improved protein digestibility; the efficiency with which pigs absorb and convert feed protein into muscle tissue, opens new opportunities to improve resource utilization, strengthen the economy of pig production, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Microbiota and gut health
Research has shown that a pig’s ability to digest and utilize protein is heritable, and can be incorporated into Topigs Norsvin’s breeding programs. Selection for improved protein digestibility; the efficiency with which pigs absorb and convert feed protein into muscle tissue, opens new opportunities to improve resource utilization, strengthen the economy of pig production, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Each animal was weighed individually and monitored through automated feeding systems to ensure precise feed intake measurement.
Keep On Improving
Benchmarking trials confirmed TN Duroc’s ability to maintain high feed efficiency and carcass quality under Brazilian production conditions, helping producers to improve profitability while meeting market expectations for sustainability and meat quality.
“The primary goal of a finisher is to efficiently convert feed into high-quality pork. Feed represents the largest cost in the finishing phase. Every improvement means lower costs, lower emissions, and a stronger future for pig production,” Lopes summarizes. “After 100 years of progress, we keep improving, as feed efficiency is more important than ever.”
“After 100 years of progress, we keep improving, as feed efficiency is more important than ever.”
Marcos Lopes, Technical Director for Topigs Norsvin Brazil
Keep On Improving
Benchmarking trials confirmed TN Duroc’s ability to maintain high feed efficiency and carcass quality under Brazilian production conditions, helping producers to improve profitability while meeting market expectations for sustainability and meat quality.
“The primary goal of a finisher is to efficiently convert feed into high-quality pork. Feed represents the largest cost in the finishing phase. Every improvement means lower costs, lower emissions, and a stronger future for pig production,” Lopes summarizes. “After 100 years of progress, we keep improving, as feed efficiency is more important than ever.”
Trial design, benchmarking farm:
– Four silos and four automatic feeding lines
– 25 pens, 18 with feeding stations
– 12 animals per pen monitored for individual feed intake and growth
Each animal tagged, weighed, and recorded individually through automated systems, allowing the team to calculate feed conversion ratios with high precision.
We Breed Sustainable Pork
In times of climate change, where reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a top priority, the pig plays a key role in the sustainable provision of premium proteins to a growing world population. Topigs Norsvin takes responsibility for breeding pigs that thrive in future production environments—stronger, healthier, and more efficient.
Feed efficiency, resource use, and emissions reductions
Feed is one of the most critical inputs in relation to pig farming – not only due to the economic factors of production, but also because of the environmental and social impacts of feeding pigs. Pigs fed with well-rounded diets are less inclined toward antagonistic behaviors like tail biting and are healthier – both crucial elements of animal welfare. Meanwhile, a pork product from a feed-efficient pig will have less environmental impact per unit. This means that because we breed animals that maintain growth performance with less feed inputs, we enable a reduction in land use and reduced emissions. Reducing land use and land change for feed production is an important consideration for biodiversity, ecosystems, and livelihoods on land where feed ingredients and food co-products are grown.
Topigs Norsvin’s breeding programs include approximately 100 traits, 14 of those directly contribute to reduced feed consumption in pork production. These traits span meat quality, feed efficiency, robustness, fertility, survival, and maternal abilities. With our breeding, we have a recipe for pig production that supports responsible resource use across the food system.