The general coordinator of Livestock, Francisco Gurria Trevino, made the announcement at the launch of the First Symposium on Environmental Management in Swine Production Units in Cuautitlan.

Pork production in the country is increasingly important to the national economy. Exports of processed pork, mainly to Asian markets, reached 90 000 tonnes in 2014, which represented a foreign exchange income of $ 436.9 million, said Mr Gurria Trevino.

He said that according to preliminary figures it is estimated that in 2015 foreign sales of processed pork will reach 114 thousand tons.

In front of an audience of hundreds of students studying veterinary medicine, who attended the launch, Mr Gurria Trevino stressed that proper management of waste and excreta of this activity is an essential part in the cattle activity.

He added that there is a necessity for new generations of veterinarians to have a quality preparation to face the challenges of the sector.

He put the onus on schools for veterinarians, producers and authorities to pay increasing attention to the issue of waste management, since regulations of the countries to which national meat products are exported are increasingly stringent.

In turn, the director of the Faculty of Higher Education Cuautitlán, Alfredo Cuellar Ordaz, stressed the importance of linking academia to the productive activities of the country, which represents a step forward in research and development to improve the quality of the food.

During this symposium, held on 18 and 19 May, researchers are presenting on topics such as "Poultry Industry and Environment - the situation in Mexico" and "Effect of Environmental Pollutants in Swine Health and Human Beings", among other papers.