Thus, during the International Congress ‘Profitable Pig Production’, which brought together key industry players, Oleksiy Sheptukha, PhD, an expert in pig health, presented the results of previous veterinary audits conducted at Ukrainian pig farms. He noted the main problems with vaccination and compliance with sanitary standards on many farms, which reduces the effectiveness of veterinary control:
‘One of the main problems we encountered during the audit was the violation of vaccine storage conditions and improper use of vaccines. The cold chain is often interrupted due to insufficient attention to detail or banal technical problems, such as a power outage on the farm. This results in the vaccine not working as it should and the pigs not receiving the necessary immunity. In addition, the problem of improper administration of vaccines remains relevant. Farmers often inject the vaccine into the wrong place or use inappropriate doses. All this significantly affects the health of animals and the overall efficiency of the farm,’ said Sheptukha.
He also outlined the role of stress factors, such as changes in housing or transportation conditions, which can significantly reduce the effectiveness of vaccination. To avoid such problems, the expert recommends strictly following vaccination regimens and improving biosecurity on farms.
As a reminder, for enterprises affected by the war (destroyed, occupied or forced to reduce their livestock), the Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders (AUPB), together with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), organised advisory support from veterinary specialists as part of the second phase of the Animal Health in Ukraine project. Leading experts in the field of veterinary medicine in Ukraine were engaged to provide this assistance.
The programme involves regular visits to farms. The first such visits have already taken place in the form of veterinary audits, which allowed us to identify key issues and develop an action plan to achieve the project's goals.
The Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders is a non-profit, voluntary organisation founded by domestic pork producers. The main goals of the association are to represent and protect the rights and interests of the association's farms, promote the development and implementation of new technologies for efficient pork production, expand sales markets, and protect the domestic market.
