When asked why the US Grains Council – an organization dedicated to expanding global market demand for US corn, barley, sorghum and their co-products – would train Chinese swine farmers on better management techniques, Jason Yan, USGC technical programme director in China, replied, "Chinese swine producers still face many challenges of high mortality and low efficiency problems, which restrain the industry from using more feed grains. More pigs and successful expansion will increase feed grains utilisation and need."

The Council has actively promoted practical swine herd health management technologies to Chinese hog producers since 2006, primarily due to a Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) outbreak, which caused significant losses of gestation sows and piglets across China.

This week, USGC consultant, Dr Han Soo Joo, professor from the University of Minnesota, conducted seminars and trainings in Fuzhou and Nanyang, China, on swine disease control theory and techniques and up-to-date hog production models used in the United States and China.

"The training programme led by Dr Joo offered new technologies to help swine producers improve skills in herd health management practices," said Mr Yan.

Dr Joo presented the opportunity to reduce production cost by using distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a co-product of US ethanol production, in sow and grow-finish pig feed rations. He also presented the potential benefits of DDGS to decrease the risk of ileitis – inflammation of a portion of the small intestine – in growing pigs.

In 2008, approximately 8,000 metric tons of US DDGS were exported to China. Through June of this year, 15,000 to 20,000 tons have already been shipped. The Council's Beijing office estimates 135,000 tons have been sold to China for August and September shipments.

Dr Joo said he was impressed with the growth in production facilities and industrialisation of the Chinese swine industry. He believes this growth will lead to more commercial feed and feed grains need.