The IBERIANPRO Operational Group has been the beneficiary of grants from the European Agency for Innovation (AEI) for agricultural productivity and sustainability, through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (FEADER), the RDP of Extremadura and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Environment (MAPAMA), for the implementation of the innovative project entitled "Improving the competitiveness of the Iberian crossbred pig from Extremadura reared in the field by analyzing the proteolytic potential of its meat".
The general objective of the IBERIANPRO Operational Group is to "Reduce the proteolytic potential of crossbred Iberian pigs raised in Extremadura in order to increase their added value and ensure their differentiation and sustainability in an increasingly competitive market".
Currently, both nationally and internationally, there is a growing demand for Iberian ham at a competitive price that is causing the entry of fresh hams with high rates of proteolysis into the cured products industry. The high proteolysis indexes of Iberian crossbred hams are due to the use of Duroc genetic lines, with a greater growth potential that gives rise to more proteolytic muscles that result in soft textures in cured ham. This means a decrease in the uniformity of the curing processes and greater difficulty in adapting the raw material to the new consumption patterns, increasing the number of rejections by the end consumer. However, in Extremadura there are still local genetic lines of the Duroc breed that have not been improved for their lean growth and, therefore, have a lower proteolytic potential. Their introduction as finishing males in crossbreeding with Iberian sows together with the semi-extensive production system in Extremadura, which allows for increased physical exercise, could reduce proteolytic indexes and improve fat infiltration and meat quality, giving rise to a differentiated product in the market for the production of crossbred Iberian pigs raised in the countryside of Extremadura.
Through this initiative, the Task Force intends to demonstrate that crossbreeding purebred Iberian sows with finishing males from local Duroc genetic lines has a lower proteolytic potential in fresh meat than when using the current high lean yielding Duroc genetic lines. The comparative demonstration of the different Duroc lines will contribute to lay the foundations for the promotion on the national and foreign markets of the crossbred
abroad of the crossbred Iberian pig produced in the countryside of Extremadura, ensuring the sustainability of livestock farms oriented to rural renaissance that otherwise, cannot compete adequately considering the higher production costs involved in semi-extensive breeding.
In addition, thanks to the dissemination and divulgation work, the aim is to increase awareness of the potential of these crosses in the business sector, seeking greater acceptance of the products generated in the current market.
The IBERIANPRO Operational Group is led by the cooperative Ibérico Comercialización, S.C.L. (IBERCOM) as representative of the livestock sector, in collaboration with Tecnogenext S.L. as an insemination center specialized in Iberian pigs and the Spanish Association of Iberian Pig Breeders (AECERIBER) as the maximum representative agent of the sector.
They will also count on the collaboration of several entities, both from the business and research fields. In this way, they will count on the collaboration of the Analysis and Innovation Service for Animal Products (SiPA) of the University of Extremadura (UEX) and with the support of the Private Research Center Imasde Agroalimentaria, S.L., which participates as technical coordinator of the project.
For the implementation of the work foreseen in the innovative project, several meetings have been held with the participation of the project's promoters and collaborators. It is expected that the first results will be achieved at the end of the first semester of 2019, which will be made available to all the agents of the Iberian pork sector.