"Marathon of Pigs"
Pig breeding is quite a popular activity in Kakheti, and almost every family keeps at least one pig for breeding per year.
If we do not talk about the global risks associated with swine diseases, this activity is quite profitable. with grain, grass, alfalfa or the so-called The profit from one pig raised by the "traditional" method is about 100 GEL per year, although it may be at least twice as much.....
If
Raising pigs with a properly balanced combined feed will...
But
There is a myth that pork raised using such feed is tasteless.....
Given that we are trying to promote combined food, we wanted to prove the myth wrong, and we managed to do it. how
- We selected two farmers
- We bought 4 piglets
- We invited the food-producing and veterinary company "Invet"
- We included a veterinarian
- Turn on the media
In particular, we decided to give two piglets to two different farmers. One of them was rearing piglets using the traditional method, while the other one was rearing piglets with combined feed supplied by "Invet" (balanced according to age). All four piglets were under the constant supervision of a veterinarian and received appropriate veterinary procedures equally.
In order for the general public to have the opportunity to follow the growth process of piglets, the regional media outlet "Voice of Kakheti" prepared special stories twice a month, which were available to everyone on the Internet.
After 51/2 months from the beginning of the experiment, as it was planned from the beginning, it was decided to slaughter the pigs and compare them according to the principle of "blind tasting". It should be noted that at that time the live weight of the pig raised by the traditional method was 65 kg, and the weight of the pig raised with combined feed was 102 kg.
Both pigs were slaughtered at a certified slaughterhouse, under the supervision of a veterinarian, and a blind tasting was organized, which was attended by about 70 people, not only from Kakheti. Among the participants were:
 Representatives of Kachreti Vocational School
 Advisory and information centers for farmers
 Sess
 Songs
 Veterinarians
 Food producers
 Farmers
 International organizations
 Media
Before revealing the results of the tasting, it will be interesting to analyze and compare the financial side of these two methods, namely:
Traditional method combined with food
Pig cost (GEL) 150.0 150.0
Food cost (GEL) 210.0 250.0
Veterinarian expenses (GEL) 10.0 10.0
Live weight at the age of 51/2 months (kg) 63 102 *
Meat yield (kg) 44 70
Sales price (GEL/kg) 10.0 10.0
1 kg. Cost of meat 8.40 5.85

• Which is very important!
  A pig raised with combined feed reached its marketable weight in half a year, and therefore, within 12 months, the farmer can carry out this process twice. Accordingly, his annual net profit will be at least 800 GEL, while it takes at least 10 months to bring a pig to the same weight with the traditional method.
  Financial result - a farmer who uses combined feed to raise pigs sees 400 GEL more profit per year compared to his colleague who believes in "myths".
  The "tasters" had the opportunity to evaluate the meat by five different characteristics and record their personal views on pre-prepared boards. These are the characteristics:
  1. External appearance
  2. Smell
  3. Aroma and taste
  4. Tenderness
  5. Fat
  At the same time, the "tasters" had to evaluate not only the barbecue, but also the cooked meat.
  Except for the cook, no one knew which pork was cut first and which was cut second. 45 minutes were allotted for the tasting, and therefore, between the first and second tastings, the tasters had the opportunity to evaluate the first cut barbecue and cooked meat, and the second tasting pork and barbecue....
  Myth busted
  The tasters' votes were distributed like this

There was practically no difference in the evaluation of taste characteristics, and the myth that pork raised on combination feed was "not good" was dispelled.
All tasters admitted that the evaluation was conducted absolutely objectively and there was no place for bias.
The result is that the farmer who raises pigs with combined feed will receive 300 GEL more during the year than he received before. At the same time, the quality of its pork is in no way inferior to its analogues.

Gurami Melkadze
Company "Inveti" Mt. consultant