As previously reported in the Witness, the LETU system (a natural, chemical free probiotic strain of lactobacillus) means that pig producers will no longer need to rely on antibiotics to support their numbers and the pigs will be healthier, happier and give a higher quality of meat.

The system was originally discovered and developed in Japan and China and several representatives from Asia were in Young last week to assess Mr Wally Pernec's farm and to begin preparations for the conversion.

Doctor Sheng Jiang and Professor Feng Jin were the original developers of the pro-biotic strain now known as LETU and have followed the project from day one.

"I previously studied human genetics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, around the time that SARS happened in China," Prof Jin said.

"Professor Jiang had been working with LETU for about 10 years and told me to pay more attention because he said in a lab environment it could cure SARS."

They began testing the pro-biotic on pigs and discovered that a by-product of the testing was the remarkable improvement in the animals' disposition, health and quality of meat.

"Humans keep racing with viruses and antibiotics. We have lost many times, losing opportunities and lives," Prof Jin said, going on to explain how the LETU farming system will do away with the need for antibiotics and therefore improve the overall conditions of the farm and pork industry.

Doctor Jiang added that the benefits of the LETU system will not stop at the pigs.

"It's not only affecting the environment and animals but humans as well when we eat them. We are ingesting too many antibiotics at the moment," Dr Jiang explained through an interpreter.

After some small housekeeping duties are attended to at Mr Pernec's farm the first batch of LETU will soon be imported from Japan.

A small lab will be set up on the farm to develop the base product into what will be fed to the pigs as well as introduced into the water and settlement ponds.

Doctors Bruce Chick and David Wills from Veterinary Health Research in Armidale will be monitoring the progress of the farm and pigs throughout the program and everyone involved is confident of fast and significant improvements. They all agree that there is no reason that China's great results can not be replicated here.