Modelling of a recording scheme for market-oriented smallholder pig producers in Northwest Vietnam R. Roessler a, ⁎, P. Herold a , A. Willam b , H.-P. Piepho c , L.T. Thuy d , A. Valle Zárate a a Hohenheim University, Institute of Animal Production in the Tropics and Subtropics, Department of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Garbenstr.17, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany b Division of Livestock Sciences, BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria c Hohenheim University, Institute for Crop Production and Grassland Research, Department of Bioinformatics, Fruwirthstr. 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany d National Institute of Animal Husbandry, Chem Tu Liem, Hanoi, Vietnam article info abstract Article history: Received 15 April 2008 Received in revised form 17 November 2008 Accepted 17 November 2008 Village breeding programmes are being developed by an integrated long-term project for smallholders in Northwest Vietnam to improve pig production in different production systems. In total, 120 smallholders with 169 sows in 5 of the 9 project villages were approached in single person interviews, using a structured questionnaire. Frequency analysis of data on breeding management and ranking of smallholders' trait preferences and selection criteria used for pigs were performed with SAS 9.1, using the FREQ procedure. Survey results indicate that both improved local breeds and exotic genotypes should be incorporated in future village breeding programmes for market-oriented smallholder pig production, improving the reproductive and growth performance as well as the carcass quality. In a next step, a model reflecting the status quo at farms with market-oriented pig production was developed integrating data from farmers' survey and information from the project's current recording scheme. A deterministic approach was used to assess the profitability and genetic merit of the current recording scheme. Modelling results show that the current recording scheme is unprofitable (-33.90 € sow -1 ). As continued success of village breeding programmes depends on the profitability of breeding measures, the long-term sustainability of the current recording scheme seems unlikely. Genetic gains are achieved in production and carcass quality traits, while a small reduction in reproduction traits can be observed. In a last step, possible effects of increased pig performances on the profitability and genetic merit of the current recording scheme were evaluated. Effects of increased pig performances on the genetic and economic success of the recording scheme are generally limited. Further model calculations are necessary for finding possibilities to improve smallholder pig breeding in a profitable way. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Smallholder pig production Breed and trait preferences Breeding management Village breeding programmes Deterministic approach 1. Introduction Pig production in Vietnam is expanding at a rapid pace with an average annual growth rate of 5.3% for the period 1995–2005 (GSO Vietnam, 2007). According to the Vietna- mese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the national pig herd will continue to grow from nearly 27 million head (2006) to 33 million head in 2010. Today pork represents 77% of the total meat produced in Vietnam (2.3 million tons in 2006) (GSO Vietnam, 2007). Production is expanding all over the country, boosted by national and international invest- ments. The national government has been strongly promoting the pig production development by releasing a series of policies, targeting industrialisation and modernisation of pig production. Nonetheless, it is estimated that still 80% of the national pig population are kept at smallholder farms (FAO, 2005). In contrast to farms in southern Vietnam where exotic pigs are gradually replacing local breeds, smallholder pig production in the north, particularly in mountainous areas, is still mainly based on local sows. These are mated to exotic boars in order to meet the demand for lean pork. However, Livestock Science 123 (2009) 241–248 ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 711459 23006; fax: +49 711459 23290. E-mail address: roessler@uni-hohenheim.de (R. Roessler). 1871-1413/$ – see front matter © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.livsci.2008.11.022 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Livestock Science journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/livsci