The effects of artificial insemination in the Maltese pig production

Abstract

The process of artificial insemination (A.I) in swine production was introduced in Malta in 1996. At that time the need to improve production and increase in efficiency was already felt in the pig production. The first attempts were unsuccessful but A.I was still needed in the Maltese islands. In 2010 the Għammieri Centre was opened and has both the boar stud area and the lab where semen can be examined, diluted and prepared in doses. The main aims of this project were to provide the Maltese pig producers with high quality semen and also facilitate the procedure of A.I for in Malta. Four years has passed since the opening of the Għammieri centre and still not all pig producers use A.I for mating purposes, but the majority of producers use it, especially those that have large herds. They found that A.I have positive effects on their production so they use it to improve their production, meet market demand and compete with other producers.