CCSI carries out national genetic evaluations of growth rate, backfat, litter size and meat and carcass quality. It also develops indices of traits of economic importance to commercial producers and the packing sector. It integrates information on each animal tested and its relatives and computes Estimated Breeding Values, or EBV's. These EBV's can be compared across herds and this allows for clear and unbiased identification of the top breeding stock in Canada. CCSI maintains a national data base of swine performance records and genetic evaluations.
Data comes from tests performed on farms and at provincial test stations and packing plants.
More than 100,000 purebred pigs were tested in 1995. Information is also collected on commercial pigs to verify the impact of genetic improvement in commercial herds and at the plants. Almost all of Canada's breeders participate. The national data base is updated every month and the genetic evaluations recomputed. The data base contains independent, verifiable information and is open to public scrutiny.