Thesis (MTech. Degree in Animal Sciences) Tshwane University of Technology 2012. / Poor pork quality as a result of pre-slaughter stress is widespread in the industry and this is of great concern. Although many methods for assessing stress levels, and consequently welfare, exist, these tend to be invasive. Simple, effective, non-invasive and/or minimally invasive ways of assessing the welfare of the pigs before slaughter are critical to identify the stressed pigs enabling specific interventions to mitigate the effects of the stress on the pork. The main objective of the study was therefore, to measure the levels of metabolic substrate in pig saliva and plasma subjected to stressful conditions using rapid diagnostic tests and relate them to meat pH, drip loss and carcass temperature of the meat. It was envisaged that such a relationship if established would enable the identification of stressed pigs likely to produce poor quality pork and enable prophylactic measures to be taken before slaughter to come up with good quality pork.

The demand for meat in South Africa may be growing faster than what the local market can supply. Imported pork may therefore help to meet the growing demand for pork or it may take market share away from the existing local pork market. A study of this nature could not be found. The majority of estimations found dated back to before 1994, many changes have occurred since then. New laws have been implemented and the meat industry has undergone substantial changes. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect imported pork products have on the demand for pork in Queenstown. The study set out to determine whether this effect was positive or negative for local business. The motivating factors were investigated to establish what made businesses sell imported pork products and not locally-produced pork products. The results were collected with the use of a questionnaire and were analyzed using Central Tendency Statistics and Descriptive Frequency Statistics. The sample size is relatively small due to the small size of Queenstown. A purposive sample had to be used and all respondents had to be contacted to achieve the highest rate of responses. The small sample size limited the accuracy and number of statistical tests available. Analysis of the results revealed that the majority of businesses in Queenstown do not sell imported pork, and have not observed a decrease in demand for locally-produced pork products due to the importation of pork. Businesses that made use of imported pork did so to reduce costs of manufacture and also because of the decrease of availability of local pork due to the outbreak of Swine Fever at the time. It is recommended to develop or improve a marketing system tor imported pork products. An investigation into the effect of imported beef, mutton and poultry on the demand for meat may give a better indication of demand for all meat products. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Kwazulu-Natal, 2007.

Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The world demand for animal proteins and profit-driven production has led to producing animal proteins intensively. Intensive pork production systems have traditionally had a poor image with the public, because these production systems are associated with environmental pollution. Currently, pigs are produced on highly specialised farms, and are fed concentrated (often imported) pig feed. The resulting higher production and higher animal densities contribute to an increased pollution of water, soil and air. The aim of this study is to determine the energy balance and emissions of three case studies, and to compare these results with their financial performance. The impacts will be recorded in the following impact categories: global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP) and Energy Use (EU). The case studies are three typical South African pig production facilities selected by the South African pork producer’s organisation (SAPPO). The production inputs, from the feed acquisition to the delivery of one kg of pig at the farm gate, were included. The three farms are located in different areas in South Africa, namely KwaZulu-Natal province (Case study 1), North-West province (Case study 2) and Western Cape province (Case study 3). The functional unit (FU) for this study is defined as 1 kg of South African pig (live-weight) at the farm gate. This study found that the GWP/FU of Case study 2 is 4 and 2 % higher than Case studies 1 and 3 respectively. The EP/FU of Case study 1 is 9 and 6 % higher than Case studies 2 and 3 respectively. The AP/FU of Case study 1 is 4 and 5 % higher than Case studies 2 and 3 respectively. The EU/FU of Case study 3 is 45 % and 16 % higher than Case studies 1 and 2 respectively. The major activities that contributed to the environmental impact categories were the slurry management activity, followed by electricity usage. The financial and environmental performance comparison did show deviations. Therefore, it is recommended that environmental and financial performance measurements be made, in order to create a true reflection of the impacts. The potential for improvement in financial and environmental performance proved to be significant in the productivity of the sow herd, as well as in the management of the piglets. The location of the production facility does not claim to hold have significant environmental or financial implications. Management of the emissions produced by piggeries can offset the impact of the piggery's location. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nie beskikbaar.