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The pig production must be sustainable, efficient and competitive to minimize its impact on environment. There is argument to keep fewer breedable animals to produce more numbers of piglets. In India, pig rearing is still done on traditional manner with low productivity. Artificial insemination (AI) is the best reproductive technology available in the current scenario for enhancing the efficiency of pig production in a sustainable way. This in pig involves, collection of semen, processing in laboratory, packaging in 80 to 90 ml semen pouch containing two to three billion spermatozoa and inseminating the sow at correct time. AI in pig is used widely in the world with the use of freshly diluted semen. The use of AI has allowed significant improvement in swine population over the world. Besides genetic improvement, it allows for better maintenance of farm record, saving farm labour and prevents disease transmission. Artificial insemination in northeast India has been introduced only recently but the response from the different stakeholders is quite favourable. In order to replicate the successes achieved in different countries, a proper understanding of the technique, its adaptability to local conditions and the regulations need to be put in place. The establishment of support services is vital to achieve success. The technology has the potential for enhancing the profitability of pig farming in sustainable way. To reap the full potential of this technology, concerted efforts are needed from all stakeholders.

Approximately 3 billion people were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2019 because of poverty and inequality. Most of these people live in Asia and Africa. Furthermore, 30% of the world population was affected by moderate to severe food insecurity in 2020, and most of this population lives in low- and middle-income countries. The world is at a critical juncture, and there is an urgent need for transformative food systems that ensure the empowerment of poor and vulnerable population groups, often smallholders with limited access to resources or those living in remote locations, as well as the empowerment of women, children, and youth (FAO, 2018). The backyard poultry production system (BPPS), as practiced by 80% of the world's rural population, can be that transformative change in low- and middle-income countries. Although the BPPS has low productivity, it still plays an important role in the food and nutritional security of rural people living in fragile ecosystems. Backyard poultry has been recognized as a tool for poverty alleviation and women empowerment besides ensuring food and nutritional security for rural poor. Poultry meat and eggs are the cheapest and best source of good quality protein, minerals, and vitamins. The introduction of improved backyard poultry germplasm has improved the productivity of this system in resource-poor settings and thereby improved the income and nutritional security of poor households. With these birds, the availability, access, utilization, and stability of food security have improved at household and national levels. Diseases, predation, non-availability of improved germplasm, lack of access to markets, and lack of skills are the major constraints to the adoption of improved backyard poultry. These constraints can be addressed by involving a network of community animal service providers. The improved backyard poultry germplasm will dominate the backyard poultry production system in the future and will be a tool for ensuring food and nutritional security on a sustainable basis, more particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

The reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are produced during storage of boar semen are causing oxidative stress and leads to poor fertility. Also, tropical and sub-tropical weather condition adversely impacts the physicomorphological quality and fertility of boar sperm. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of feeding linseed oil to boar on its seminal attributes, sperm kinetics, biomarkers of antioxidant, fatty acid profile of seminal plasma (SP) and sperm and in vivo fertility. Six Hampshire crossbreed boars were fed with 90 ml linseed oil (LIN) whereas six Hampshire crossbreed boars were fed 90 ml canola oil (CON) for 16 weeks. Sperm quality was evaluated (60 ejaculates for each group; a total of 120 ejaculates) for motility, livability, abnormal morphology, acrosomal membrane integrity, hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST) and sperm kinetic parameters by computer assisted semen analysis (CASA) at 0 h and at 72 h of storage at 17°C. Biomarkers of antioxidant (glutathione peroxidase; GPx, cata-