Past genetic improvement programmes have concentrated mainly on lean growth. They have relied on a few simple measurements of growth rate, food intake and ultrasonic backfat, which were laborious to record, check and process. Now there is increasing concern to improve, or at least avoid undesirable correlated changes in, eating quality, distribution of lean, and reproduction.

New electronic techniques offer the opportunity to record additional traits, with lower costs and faster data processing. This paper reviews the likely impact of electronics on the rate and nature of genetic improvement in pigs.