September 7, 2018
Dear National Swine Registry Membership and Stakeholders:
As many of you are aware, the National Swine Registry Executive Committee voted in August to adopt a new policy regarding how animals are exhibited at NSR events. The policy stated “Effective January 1, 2019, all breeding animals exhibited at NSR and NJSA events will be exhibited by weight. This includes all junior and open gilts, as well as boars.” The policy’s development was a direct result of the Executive Committee taking action on what was identified by numerous breeders and stakeholders, to be a serious issue. The topic of over-aging purebred animals has been discussed at length in the past few weeks and much of the dialogue was generated from this policy change.
Nevertheless, the National Swine Registry is a member based organization. Executive Committee members, breed board members, and staff have received tremendous feedback regarding the policy change. With any major change, much of the feedback was both positive and negative. As a result, the Executive Committee believed it was in the best interest of the NSR membership to revisit the issue. After much discussion, the executive committee has taken another action.
Effective January 1, 2019, all breeding animals will be shown by age, but will be required to either declare a weight or be officially weighed. This policy includes all NJSA and NSR events. Junior gilts will be weighed back, with specific details to be determined at a later time. This compromise was developed to continue to address the issue of over-aging without creating unintended consequences for breeders and exhibitors alike. As a result, Weight per Day of Age (WPD) figures will be utilized and published at NSR events. While logistical details will be released at a different time, the intent of this action is to continue to address what is considered to be a long term threat to the sustainability of NSR and the purebred swine industry
The Executive Committee appreciates the memberships’ feedback and hopes that breeder integrity and the purebred swine industry will benefit from this decision. If members feel inclined to discuss this policy change or need clarification, we encourage them to visit with their respective Executive Committee members and periodically check NSR information platforms for updates.
Regards,
National Swine Registry Executive Committee
Dusty Cain, Chairman
Brett Beyers, Vice Chairman
Mike Paul, CEO