The high-end product line, J’aime, is produced in partnership by agri-food company Fleury Michon and animal nutrition company Avril and Sofiprotéol.

J’aime is a superior brand of pork that is produced by pigs that are raised without GMOs, are antibiotic-free, meet strict welfare standards, produce stress negative meat and that are fed a diet with linseed. Pork producers are contracted to produce 100,000 finishers annually to meet the demand for J’aime products.

“To produce a quality product, like J’aime, meat must have a good pH level and a sufficient level of backfat,” says France General Manager Julien Briant. He explains that the Hypor Maxter produces a slightly higher level of backfat that helps to lower the driploss and maintain the pH level after slaughter. Meat that has an ideal pH level has a long shelf life and produces a more desirable meat colour.

“It is important for the meat to have a sufficient amount of fat, and also for it to be lean for the consumer,” he says. Julien Briant adds that the Hypor Maxter has the carcass traits that meat processors want: “Pork producers receive 6.30 euros more over the standard market price to produce pigs that qualify for J’aime.”

The Hypor Maxter is a stress negative boar and free of negative gene rn- since more than 15 years, that contribute to a positive effect on driploss.

“We have done trials that show that the Hypor Maxter has a 1 to 2 per cent lower driploss than the other sire lines that are used in the market,” Julien Briant says.

The driploss determines how much water is lost off the carcass after slaughter. “A 1 to 2 per cent lower driploss per pig carcass is a significant amount of meat volume when multiplied with the 23 million-head French pig herd,” he says.

Briant explains that at the end of the day, the Hypor Maxter is developed to be efficient for the producer and the meat processor.

“Hypor’s goal is to develop genetics that benefit all parts of the production chain—from the farm to the consumer’s plate,” he says. “Compared to other sire lines in France, the Hypor Maxter has a higher daily gain, better carcass uniformity,” he says. “That is why we see a beautiful future for the Hypor Maxter in this market.”