Where is the pork industry on its path to a PRRS-resistant pig? Matt Culbertson, chief operating officer at PIC, says the industry is entering the final chapter of the story before the opportunity to commercialize pig genetics that are resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). These pigs were developed utilizing non-transgenic gene editing to inactivate a specific gene, CD163, that exists in the pig and allows PRRS infection to occur.
“We are at the point of finalizing regulatory approval activities in multiple geographies around the globe that should allow the necessary framework for not only production in many key pork producing countries, like the U.S., but also for uninterrupted global movement of pork products,” Culbertson said during a presentation at the Carthage Swine Conference.
PIC is scaling up its own internal production of the PRRS-resistant populations to be ready for the potential launch.
In addition, PIC is actively engaged in market acceptance activities around the globe that highlight the benefits of the product to stakeholders across the pork chain from producers and packer/processors to retail/food service and consumers.