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“The Japanese market and the Iberian market in Spain want high-quality meat for their consumers,” says Hypor Data and Technology Manager José M. Requejo Puerto. “We are convinced that Hypor Kanto can fulfill their needs.” The Hypor Kanto produces exceptional fresh meat that possesses a desirable pink color and high amount of evenly dispersed marbling that makes the pork tender and palatable.
“Meat quality traits are economically important because they affect consumers’ acceptance, which in turn, influences the demand for pigs,” Requejo says. In addition to performing well in the fresh meat market, the Hypor Kanto produces meat that is palatable when processed—frozen or cured.
“Factors such as pH level, water-holding capacity and the absence of anomalous flavors make the Hypor Kanto the ideal boar for producing processed meat,” Requejo says. He explains that both the Iberian and Japanese markets need a boar that can improve the price-performance ratio, uniformity and, standardization of high quality products.
“The Hypor Kanto produces superior meat without excessive fat and without a high feed conversion rate,” he says. “This results in good production efficiency.
Hypor Kanto Becomes Exclusive Duroc for Ibéricos Vallehermoso, Spain
On May 22, 2016 Hypor imported sows and boars from the Hypor nucleus facility Hock n’ Ham in Canada to build up a nucleus facility in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain as part of an exclusive agreement with Ibéricos Vallehermoso. Ibéricos Vallehermoso crosses the Iberian and Duroc lines to produce products such as ham, dried meat, cold meats and cold cuts that are marketed internationally.
“This is a niche market, there are around 280,000 Iberian sows in Spain and Portugal: 40,000 pure Iberian crossbreds and 240,000 Iberian and Duroc crossbreds,” Requejo says. “Ibéricos Vallehermoso wants to produce 100 percent of their products from a cross of the Iberian and the Hypor Kanto.
As part of the agreement with Ibéricos Vallehermoso, Hypor is managing the Iberian breeding program and overseeing both the Hypor Kanto and Iberian populations.
“This new relationship with Ibéricos Vallehermoso allows Hypor to bring an exclusive Duroc line to the European market and to develop a research and development project that focuses on genomic selection,” Requejo says. The research includes using advanced instrumentation, such as, optical technologies and imaging.
Hypor Increases Presence in Japan, Starts Producing Hypor Kanto Boars
Hypor Japan imported Kanto breeders to its nucleus facility on July 11, in the Miyagi. “Hypor Japan has been our partner for more than 35 years,” says Area Manager of Asia, Geert Rutten. “To secure the supply of top quality Hypor Kanto boars to our customers, maximum genetic progress is secured by shipping Hypor Kanto replacement breeders from our nucleus facility in Canada to Japan each year.”
The 900,000-head Japanese sow herd is promoted for being locally produced and for its exceptionally high-quality fresh pork.
“Hypor Japan already has an excellent product for this market—the Hypor AB terminal boar, Rutten says. “However, the Hypor Kanto adds another terminal boar to the Japanese market—more than 50 percent of the Japanese boar market uses Durocs as terminal Sire line”
The Hypor Kanto exceeds the requirement for premium pork and feed efficiency. Japan has one of the highest feed costs in the world—around 70 percent of the total cost of production.
“Results from trials showed that the Hypor Kanto completely fits the Japanese market, and surpasses current Japanese boars in daily gain and feed efficiency,” Rutten says. “These trials were a good way for Hypor to enter the Japanese market with the Kanto.”
He explains that in the past it was only possible for Japanese producers to get Hypor Kanto semen from AI studs but now that we have the production in Japan, Hypor Japan can sell both boars and semen to current customers and potential customers. “This fits with our goals to produce premium meat for the Japanese consumers and to grow our presence in the market,” Rutten explains.
