10 Years of PIC Under the ALZU Leadership

The Value of Genetic Progress During the Past Decade

As PIC South Africa celebrates 40 years since its establishment with Soetvelde Farms in 1986, and 10 years under ALZU’s leadership across Africa, the focus turns naturally to impact. Beyond the milestones lies a more important question: what has this past decade of genetic progress been worth? Reflecting on genetic trends through the lens of value rather than individual traits reveals the true contribution of genetics to producer profitability and system efficiency

Understanding 10 Years of Genetic Trends

Figure 1

Genetic trends describe the change in average genetic merit of a population over time (Figure 1). In practical terms, they show whether pigs today are genetically better than those in the past, and by how much.

Rather than focusing on individual traits, these trends are best understood through the genetic index. The index captures the combined effect of multiple economically important traits, allowing progress to be measured as a single, consistent movement over time.

Over the past 10 years, PIC Africa has shown a clear and steady positive genetic trend (Figure 2). Year after year, the average index value of animals entering the system has increased, with each generation building on the last and shifting the population forward.

It is important to recognise that genetic trends are both line-specific and genetic company-specific. Different lines have different objectives, and each breeding programme applies its own selection strategy, economic weightings, and data systems. As a result, genetic progress is not directly comparable across populations and must be interpreted within the specific programme context.

When interpreting trends, it is also important to understand historical index values. An index value from 10 years ago does not reflect how animals were evaluated at that time. Instead, all animals are expressed on a common, current genetic base, using today’s knowledge and economic weighting.

In practical terms (Figure 2), an animal with an index of 20 from 10 years ago does not mean it had that value at the time. Rather, it means that if evaluated today under current standards, its genetic merit would equate to an index of 20. In other words, we are comparing all pigs as if they are evaluated in today’s system.

This progress has three key characteristics:

 

• • It is directional: Selection follows a defined economic objective, ensuring consistent improvement.

• • It is cumulative: Genetic gains are permanent and compound over time.

• • It is population-wide: Trends reflect the entire population, not individual animals.

The result is a steady shift in the production baseline. The average pig today carries significantly more genetic value than a decade ago due to consistent, balanced selection across the index. Although annual index changes may appear small, over 10 years they accumulate into substantial genetic gain. This is the essence of genetic trends: small, consistent improvements that compound into meaningful long-term progress.

Figure 2

Value of an Index Point (VOIP): Translating Genetics into Rands

While genetic trends show direction and rate of progress, they do not answer a key question: what is this improvement worth? This is where Value of an Index Point (VOIP) becomes essential.

VOIP represents the economic value associated with a one-unit change in the genetic index. Because the index combines multiple traits into a single value, VOIP translates genetic improvement into a measurable financial outcome.

In practical terms, each additional index point reflects:

 

• • Improved biological efficiency

• • Better overall animal performance

• • And ultimately, increased profitability within a production system

VOIP, therefore, acts as the bridge between genetic progress and economic return.

Why VOIP Matters

Genetic improvement is cumulative and permanent, but its impact is best understood in financial terms. With VOIP, genetic trends become more than a line on a graph. They represent increased value per animal, improved returns per sow per year, and greater efficiency across the entire production system. This shifts the question from “Are my pigs improving?” to “How much value is this improvement adding to my business?”

Important Considerations

Like genetic trends, VOIP is not universal. It depends on the definition of the index, the economic weightings of included traits, and the production and market environment in which it is applied. For this reason, VOIP must always be interpreted within the correct genetic and production context.

Figure 3 (*Currency conversion was calculated using an exchange rate of €1 = R19.23.)

From Trend to Value on Farm

When genetic trends and VOIP are combined, the impact becomes tangible. A steady increase in index over time, when multiplied by VOIP, reveals the true economic value of genetic progress.

For PIC customers on a full programme using CAM and PIC337 genetics, the past decade shows clear improvement. Genetic trend data indicates an increase of 83 index points in L02, 104 index points in L03, and 148 index points in PIC337 (Figure 2).

Each of these index point gains reflects improvement in economically important traits such as piglet numbers, survivability, growth, and feed efficiency, ultimately resulting in a more efficient and profitable animal.

When expressed through VOIP, this cumulative genetic progress equates to approximately €20.89 per full-value slaughter pig, or about R401.67 per slaughter pig at an exchange rate of R19.23 (Figure 3).

Important Consideration: VOIP is not universal. It depends on the index definition, economic weightings, and production environment, and should always be interpreted within the correct genetic and production context.

This illustrates the power of genetic progress: gradual improvement on a graph translates into real, repeatable value at production level. Importantly, this value is realised on every animal produced, multiplied across the entire herd, and sustained year after year through cumulative genetic gain. The index guides selection, but VOIP reveals its true worth.

As PIC South Africa celebrates 40 years since its establishment in 1986, and 10 years under ALZU’s leadership across Africa, the trajectory is clear. Genetic improvement will continue to shape the future of production, delivering more efficient, resilient, and valuable animals. The opportunity ahead lies in continuing to convert this progress into practical, on-farm success.

Understanding the Value Behind an Index Point

To better interpret VOIP, it is useful to understand how the value of a single index point translates into economic terms at slaughter level. Each index point reflects the expected contribution of genetic improvement to the final slaughter pig, taking into account the genetic contribution of each line.

For maternal lines, each index point contributes approximately €0.045 per slaughter pig, reflecting their combined 50% genetic contribution (25% from each dam line). For the terminal line, each index point contributes approximately €0.084 per slaughter pig, representing its 50% genetic contribution to the final animal.

Together, these contributions explain how index improvement across lines accumulates into measurable value at commercial level.

It is also important to recognise that the selection index is re-based annually to an average of 100, in line with ongoing genetic progress of approximately 18 to 20 index points per year. This means that if a pure line herd maintains an average index of 100 from one year to the next, it does not indicate a lack of progress. Rather, it reflects that the herd has improved genetically by roughly 18 to 20 index points, keeping pace with the rate of genetic gain achieved in PIC elite farms.