DEVELOPMENT OF A WEB-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR SURVEILLANCE OF REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE, DISEASES AND BIOSECURITY IN SWINE FARMS IN PAMPANGA

Abstract

This study addresses the critical need for efficient livestock health and productivity monitoring by developing a user-friendly, web-based prototype information and decision support system tailored for smallholder hog producers. The current manual, fragmented systems cause delays and inefficiencies in disease detection, reproductive recording, and data management, hindering timely decision-making. The developed system, built on open-source software, integrates data entry, user interface, and database management to assess key reproductive performance indicators against Philippine production standards. It offers technical evaluations of sow reproductive efficiency and delivers customized management recommendations. Additionally, the system incorporates biosecurity surveillance aligned with the Philippine College of Swine Practitioners’ guidelines, generating quantitative risk ratings and actionable improvement recommendations. A novel, prototype image-processing module enhances disease detection by comparing user-submitted photos against a curated reference database, supporting early identification and improving infectious disease reporting. The platform includes protocols to mitigate disease spread and is accessible at https://www.salazaris.com. While promising as a cost-effective alternative to proprietary solutions, the system needs to be validated through on-farm trials to assess its accuracy, usability, and overall effectiveness. Future studies will concentrate on field testing and ongoing improvements to enhance user acceptance and influence swine production management.This study addresses the critical need for efficient livestock health and productivitymonitoring by developing a user-friendly, web-based prototype information anddecision support system tailored for smallholder hog producers. The current manual,fragmented systems cause delays and inefficiencies in disease detection, reproductiverecording, and data management, hindering timely decision-making. The developedsystem, built on open-source software, integrates data entry, user interface, anddatabase management to assess key reproductive performance indicators againstPhilippine production standards. It offers technical evaluations of sow reproductiveefficiency and delivers customized management recommendations. Additionally,the system incorporates biosecurity surveillance aligned with the PhilippineCollege of Swine Practitioners’ guidelines, generating quantitative risk ratings andactionable improvement recommendations. A novel, prototype image-processingmodule enhances disease detection by comparing user-submitted photos against acurated reference database, supporting early identification and improving infectiousdisease reporting. The platform includes protocols to mitigate disease spread andis accessible at https://www.salazaris.com. While promising as a cost-effectivealternative to proprietary solutions, the system needs to be validated through on-farmtrials to assess its accuracy, usability, and overall effectiveness. Future studies willconcentrate on field testing and ongoing improvements to enhance user acceptanceand influence swine production management.