INTERVIEW ▶▶▶
In your view, what role does the current Bolsonaro admin- istration play in Brazil’s swine industry? “Overall support for the industry is good. Our minister of agricul- ture, who will be in office at least three more years, is very open to receive people from agriculture and she is keen to help. Roads are being built to provide better access to farms, which is very impor- tant. I would like to see funding also for producers to be able to renovate their facilities. While it’s true that funding for research has been cut, we are making collaborations with the industry. These collaborations are important but, depending on the type of re- search, federal funding is necessary to run specific research trials.”
In recent years, several outbreaks of Classical Swine Fever (CSF) have occurred in Brazil. What caused them and how have these outbreaks been dealt with? “They happened in the northeast of the country where keeping pigs for family use is common. The pigs have been euthanised and the family can’t have another pig for a certain length of time. Even though the family is compensated for the loss of the pig, it is hard on them as the animal seems healthy and the family doesn’t want to lose its source of pork and the income from having some pigs.”
Apart from CSF, what are the current major current swine health challenges in Brazil at the moment? “Salmonella is a problem, as well as respiratory diseases, like en- zootic pneumonia, and Senecavirus can also be present on some farms.”
What does Brazil do to keep African Swine Fever out of the country? Is the country doing enough from your perspec- tive to protect against entry of this disease? “In the state of São Paolo, there is an island where any imported animals are quarantined and tested by the ministry of agriculture. Added to this, there is very good vigilance at land border cross- ings, ports and airports. At the airports, there are dog teams and also many signs to raise awareness. There was an outbreak of Por- cine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) in Uruguay late in 2019, and it has not crossed into Brazil. I think the govern- ment is doing what needs to be done to protect the swine indus- try here, and it is working really well.”
Recently, Brazil also began moving towards banning three growth-promoting antibiotics used in pig production. How is that transition going and where does the country stand currently with regard to reduced antibiotic use? “The transition in any country must include changes in manage- ment, and that is being done here. As is the case elsewhere, the transition is being done in steps so that producers have time to adapt. But there are some producers, as there are in any country, who are resistant to the changes, and the introduction of risk makes people afraid, which is normal. But this topic has been raised at so many global meetings, and the producers and every- one else in our industry here knows that we must make these
16 ▶PIG PROGRESS | Volume 36, No. 7, 2020
changes. There will be more growth-promoting antibiotics banned in future.”
Will the world be able to feed 9.2 billion people this year, in 2020? “I think we are working hard to achieve the objective of feeding everyone. Genetics is doing its job and the females are producing higher numbers of piglets, but management practices must en- sure they reach market weight. We just mentioned reduced use of antibiotics; without them, we need to use other tools to prevent losses. In addition, my other main concern is quality. We should work hard to produce very high-quality pork. To do so, feedstuffs and water must be good quality too, and we need good vaccines and technology to facilitate better management. It all must be under control to make it possible.”
With the increased interest in veganism, do you think pork has a bright future? “There are nutrients in meat that are essential for good health and not everyone in the world can go to a pharmacy and buy supple- mental minerals and vitamins. Moreover, the deficiency of certain essential microelements that are present in pork may have detri- mental effects on individuals’ health. We know that, besides hav- ing a good taste, pork is a healthy meat. Looking at the environ- ment perspective, the way manure is now being managed, pig production will become more environmentally friendly.”
What are your future goals? “I have always had the goal to train students to become compe- tent veterinarians and researchers. I have undergraduate and graduate students. I want them to be outstanding professionals and outstanding as people. I will also work to have more funding for research to help swine producers and help society as well.”
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