Main contributions of INIFAP research to swine nutrition in Mexico: Challenges and perspectives

Abstract

This review is a retrospective of the research activities carried out in swine nutrition by INIFAP researchers during the 35 years of the Institute's existence. The main product of this activity was to lay the foundations for a better feeding of the breeding herd and pigs for slaughter, focusing on solving the particular problems of Mexican swine farming, with respect to the raw materials that are utilized in pig feeding, as well as the evaluation and improvement of the carcass quality, and the enrichment of meat with metabolites that increase its shelf life and improve its organoleptic properties. It also reflects on the challenges that swine nutrition will face in this century, proposing the areas that will have to be researched in order to guarantee the sustainability of the sector, and the actions that the program's researchers and INIFAP will have to take in order to adequately respond to the challenges faced by Mexican swine production.