USSEC recently conducted the Regional Animal Production Course (RAPCO) for swine production at the University of Illinois. 26 swine producers and technicians from top Latin American swine operations in 10 countries attended the course.
The course program, conducted by USSEC consultant Julio Chaves, emphasized swine nutrition and management, covering topics such as amino acid requirements of pigs; amino acid digestibility; carbohydrates in feed ingredients; global soybean production and utilization; and feed technology. The program highlighted the importance of U.S. Soy’s high quality and its advantages over other soybeans in the market. Special attention was given to protein quality during all talks about soybeans. Lectures were also presented about the use of growth promoters (Rapctopamine) and its effect on pork quality, as well as the use of inmunocastration. Mr. Chaves presented a conference focusing on the evaluation of pork quality.

Participant discussions during this course were very interactive, which resulted in an excellent opportunity to share experiences and increase attendees’ knowledge. RAPCO courses are designed to create loyalty toward U.S. soybeans. USSEC provides superior technical and market support for swine producers, covering a vast amount of information in a short, intensive course where high quality speakers cover many aspects of production, nutrition, and pork quality.