CLIMPORQ – Feeding and management strategies to mitigate the effects of high summer temperatures, accentuated by climate change, on the quality of pork meat.

The slower growth of pigs in summer, due to lower intake, is a well known problem in the pig industry. This problem, which is gaining importance due to the effects of climate change, has a major impact towards the end of summer, especially in August and early September, when pigs that have spent the final part of fattening in the hottest months arrive at the slaughterhouse. This problem results in longer fattening periods, a worsening of the production indices (conversion and average daily gain), a drop in carcass weight, a lower weight of the hams, an increase in the percentage of lean meat, less fat covering the hams, and a decrease in the percentage of hams classified as fatty and semi-fatty in the slaughterhouses. This is particularly relevant in those slaughterhouses that slaughter animals of differentiated quality (crossed with Ibérico and Duroc) that need a minimum fattening to meet the needs of their customers.

Thus, the main objective of the project is to homogenise the quality of pork meat, especially hams, throughout the year. The aim is to increase the quality of the pork meat in the hottest periods with different feeding and management strategies, as well as to establish the ideal time for immunocastration of females to achieve a more stable product throughout the year. As a secondary objective, the aim is to assess how the effect of genetics can help to improve the uniformity of the product throughout the year.

In addition, to improve the response of Union agriculture to societal demands for food and health, including the demand for good quality, safe and nutritious food produced in a sustainable way, to reduce food waste, to improve animal welfare and to combat antimicrobial resistance.

Participants: Matadero frigorífico del cardoner SA (Leader), Agropecuaria catalana SCCL (beneficiary), Agrocardoner (non-beneficiary), Jamones Sierranevada (Non-beneficiary), INNOVACC (coordinator), Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentarias IRTA (OPI), UdL ( OPIO), TOPIGOS NORSVIN ESPAÑA (Contracted).

PAC Strategic Plan 2023-2027 action co-financed by: