Investing in disruptive technologies for sustainable farming

The devastating impact of African Swine Fever (ASF) on the global pig industry is well-documented. When ASF hit Vietnam in 2019, nearly six million pigs were lost, reducing the national pig supply by about 27.8%. This drop forced Vietnam to increase imports to meet domestic demand and face challenges in exporting pigmeat. The ASF outbreak highlighted the vulnerability of the pig industry to disease and the need for robust biosecurity measures and routine health monitoring. In Southeast Asia, countries like Vietnam lost 20% of their pig population within the first five months of the outbreak, prompting a closer look at other hidden impacts on food production.

While visible disease outbreaks in pig farms are devastating, the hidden costs of subclinical diseases are equally significant, potentially causing a 20% loss on the bottom line. Subclinical diseases, such as those caused by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, can impact food conversion efficiency, daily liveweight gains, and result in creeping mortality. These hidden costs significantly affect the profitability of pig farming operations. In the USA, losses associated with this pathogen are estimated at USD 375 to USD 400 million per year, or USD 5.84 per market pig in an affected herd.

Routine surveillance of subclinical diseases and preventing them from becoming clinical is essential to avoid waste, inefficiency, and hidden costs. A proactive approach helps minimize economic losses, improve herd health, enhance productivity, and enable more pigmeat to be produced with fewer resources.
My attention was sparked when I read a research paper on using vaccines to address Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infections, prevalent in all swine-producing areas. A pig farming friend commented on the challenges of vaccine efficacy, noting the labor-intensive and costly process of collecting blood samples or nasal swabs to monitor disease and to know if the vaccine is actually working. This highlights the need for better solutions.

It became my quest to invest in disruptive technologies that can tackle specific issues, bringing innovative solutions to life and addressing the challenges that hinder increased food production, reduce losses, and inefficiencies. New technologies that enable routine health monitoring economically, are easy to implement, and accurate can help farmers reduce economic losses, improve feed efficiency, daily liveweight gain, and contribute to more sustainable farming operations. Technologies like #Genics_Pork_Multipath who offer a simple yet highly effective approach to subclinical pathogen monitoring.

If you’re interested in learning more about the technologies we have come across or investment opportunities, feel free to reach out. These innovations are designed to enhance farming and food production efficiencies, allowing us to produce more with less.