Who do YOU know who goes the extra mile for our industry? Make your nomination.

Friday February 12, 2010

All eyes are on the euro

Although one or two spot traders were suggesting during the week that they had too many pigs on their hooks and prices would be down, as it turned out nothing resembling the St Valentine's Day Massacre took place on the pig trading floor today and contract prices were if anything a tad firmer with the DAPP rising from 140.01p to 140.38p and the Tulip base price up by a full penny to 142p. Continued.

What is an outdoor pig? We don't know yet...

Finding production definitions for free-range, outdoor-bred, outdoor-reared and outdoor pork is proving difficult.

Finalised definitions were to be announced by Hilary Benn later this month, but this will no longer happen.

Having collected producer views for BPEX's work on definitions — and having noted the strong feelings being expressed by its members — NPA has decided to put a summary of the responses it has received before its March meeting of NPA Producer Group.

Producer Group chairman Howard Revell is clear it will probably be impossible to come up with definitions that suit everyone in every respect.

But he is keen that members' views are properly considered by Producer Group, which in turn will advise BPEX.

Definitions for outdoor-bred and outdoor-reared are proving most contentious. Some producers are concerned they are not strict enough.

A change in tone

By Digby Scott

The latest nomination for the Chris Brant Award, received this morning, brings the total so far to ten.

In previous years we have had 20 or so nominations, but there is plenty of time yet, so we may do again this year.

If you wish to nominate someone please go to the Chris Brant Award page, where you can do it on-line.

The judges haven’t seen the nominations that have come in so far, so they are blissfully unaware of the difficult task that faces them when they meet to make their decision in April.

The standard is higher than ever, demonstrating just how much sung, and unsung talent we have in our small industry, and long may it be so.

Interestingly, the ‘tone’ of entries has changed this year, as the sector moves from crisis mode, into its second year of sustainable prices.

You are placing less emphasis on in-your-face campaigning, and more on people who have made a contribution in other ways... by successful marketing for instance, and by driving higher productivity.

This award is run by and for the industry, so it is right the industry should be setting the pace in this way.

But there is a slight irony in the fact that the year we change the name of the award from the Pig Industry Service Award to the Chris Brant Award — in fond memory of the most in-yer-face campaigner imaginable — turns out to be the year that it shifts into a more reflective mode.

Cancer report flawed

A frequently cited 2007 World Cancer Research Fund report that links red and processed meat consumption with risk of colorectal cancer contains serious scientific flaws, it has emerged. These may have the effect of exaggerating any link between red and processed meat and colorectal cancer. The errors have been uncovered by experts at the University of Sydney and in a review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Thursday February 11, 2010

Last orders please

If you are an outdoor producer please study these BPEX production definitions and let NPA’s Barney Kay have your thoughts by February 15, so he can feed back a summary of views to BPEX. The definitions are turning out to be quite controversial and this will be producers' last chance to influence the outcome.

At present there is no legal definition of ‘free range’, ‘outdoor bred’ and ‘outdoor reared’ pigmeat. And some in the pig industry have considered the liberal use of the term ‘outdoor’ on packaging to be a public relations howler waiting to happen.

Best New Product Award judge named

Judge of the industry’s Best New Product Award at this year’s British Pig and Poultry Fair will be pig producer Phil Stephenson.

Phil Stephenson runs the family farm at Melbourne, near York, taking the progeny from his 700 sows to heavy weights. He is currently completing final phase of modernising his unit.

He is an NPA Producer Group member and is also on the steering group of Yorkshire and Humberside Health.

The coveted Best New Product Award is run by Pig World in association with the Royal Agricultural Society. In the past the Best New Product has been chosen by committee, but this year it will be just one man’s vision.

‘We wanted someone who is an exceptional producer and who at the same time is level-headed and unlikely to be easily swayed by a good sales pitch,’ said Pig World editor Sam Walton.

‘We could think of several candidates but our first choice was Phil Stephenson and we are grateful to him for taking on the task because it is time-consuming, and however good one’s decision, there will always be some who disagree with it.’

One of the problems the organisers have with the Best New Product Award is that exhibitors prefer the winner and runners-up to be announced by lunchtime on the first day — but often there are too many entries to view in such a short amount of time.

So this year entrants will be advised, in advance, that face-to-face time with the judge will be limited to a maximum of ten minutes. That’s how long they will have to explain the features and benefits of their product.

Download New Product Award entry form

Wednesday February 10, 2010

And you don't have to send flowers afterwards...

By Digby Scott

The new Red Tractor logos for pork, bacon and ham will be appearing in stores from April, when the industry’s much-loved Quality Standard Mark is discontinued.

First out of the box will be Red Tractor Bacon (pictured right). It will make its appearance during Bacon Connoisseurs’ Week, which runs Monday March 22 to Sunday March 28.

This year’s bacon champion will be Strictly Come Dancing star Anton du Beke (pictured below with Tess Daly) who is expected to prove popular with middle-England shoppers — the people most likely to choose premium bacon (which is invariably British).

All the leading retailers and processors will be joining in the Bacon Connoisseurs’ Week activities, which will include a competition for smoked, unsmoked and new-flavour bacons.

Regional winners will gain valuable publicity in their local and regional media whilst an overall champion will be announced at the beginning of Bacon Connoisseurs Week at a launch ceremony in Butchers Hall in London.

Independent butchers will be getting involved as well as Tesco, Asda, Tulip, Vion etc, and if you have a farm shop that sells British bacon, you too will doubtless want to make the most of the week-long sales opportunities that Bacon Connoisseurs’ Week offers.

You can do this by sending off for the free BPEX point-of-sale kit (pictured below) which includes a selection of posters, a vinyl poster for windows, and 50 recipe leaflets.

The theme for Bacon Connoisseurs’ Week — which is now in its fourth year — is, “Bring home the bacon”.

Last year for every £100 BPEX marketeers put into promoting and running Bacon Connoisseurs’ Week, the industry received £400 in media publicity.

Though this was an impressive return, we can do better this year... not least because the country is still up to its neck in recessionary gloom.

This is a time when when consumers are making an emotional shift towards comfort foods, and all the better if they are produced in Britain — remember the “I’m Backing Britain” campaign during the successive financial crises of Harold Wilson’s premiership?

As retailers choose British bacon for their premium ranges, one of the industry’s tasks during Bacon Connoisseurs Week will be to explain to consumers what they will be losing if they trade down (quality) and what they will be gaining (spitting and white gunge).

Tina Mulholland and Claire Holland at BPEX reckon bacon is the comfort food to beat all comfort foods... and its the one meat that causes hardened vegetarians to consider whether giving up meat was such a good idea after all.

Some people even claim bacon is better than sex. Recently, when asked to choose between bacon and sex, more than 40 percent of Canadians opted for bacon, in a survey commissioned by Maple Leaf. (Just as much sizzle, and you don’t have to send flowers afterwards.)

Bacon Connoisseurs’ Week is run on a limited budget, but with pig producers joining in — especially those with farm shops — we can stretch each levypayer’s pound.

Among BPEX’s greatest allies are Ladies in Pigs who will again be delivering bacon butties to local radio stations, gaining many on-air plugs and, in some cases, interviews.

At a national level Radio Two breakfast show presenter Chris Evans will be given special treatment in the hope that he will enthuse about premium quality bacon on air in the same way his predecessor did... causing countless listeners to rush for the grill pan.

But bacon is not just about breakfast, stress Tina Mulholland and Claire Holland at BPEX. It can be one of the tastiest and most cost-effective ingredients for any meal, as Bacon Connoisseurs' Week recipes will demonstrate.

Above: Bacon is not just about breakfast, as this mouth-watering bacon hotpot shows.

Goodbye Mr Grumpy, hello Mr Happy

Good news for discerning consumers... the grumpy visage of Yorkshire producer Richard Longthorp is soon to be unceremoniously removed from the opening page of BPEX's consumer website Love Pork. He will be replaced by the cheerful countenance of Strictly Come Dancing star Anton du Beke, who is this year's Bacon Connoisseurs Week champion.

How Holly made the levy go further

Right: Holly Willoughby proudly shows off her Banger Award during British Sausage Week last November.

British Sausage Week in November produced its best ever return-on-spend for pig producers.

For every £1,000 that BPEX marketeers spent organising and promoting British Sausage Week, £150,000 was earned in media publicity.

The continued support of Sir Terry Wogan — who has never failed to give British sausages a good mention on his Breakfast Show — was worth a lot, and he will be missed during British Sausage Week 2010.

But the team at BPEX have high hopes for his replacement, Chris Evans, who has been supportive in the past, and who is known to like his food nearly as much as Sir Terry.

Morning show presenters invariably give British sausages a mention when they are delivered piping hot in a bun to the studio, say Tina Mulholland and Claire Holland at BPEX.

But even Tina and Claire were startled by the excellent return-on-spend figures for last November’s British Sausage Week — so startled in fact, they spent hours combing through the data, to make sure there were no mistakes.

Among the items that helped gain publicity worth over £15m, were a spot on the television programme “This Morning” when presenter Holly Willoughby showed off her British Sausage Week award to an envious Phillip Schofield.

And another coup for British Sausage Week organisers was a lengthy feature on the television programme “Countdown”.

Whilst all this was going on, up and down the country Ladies in Pigs were delivering hot British sausage sandwiches to local radio station presenters and being rewarded for their efforts by numerous on-air mentions.

British Sausage Week media coverage almost doubled last year, with six pieces of national television coverage — including some items of over ten minutes in length — more national and consumer magazine coverage, and an increased number of regional radio and print items.

The 'reach' was also up to to over 430m, meaning everyone in the country had the opportunity to see, listen or read about British Sausage Week on average over six times.

Above: Countdown presenters Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley.

It is time we started to feel good about ourselves

One of the most "renewable" of all resources has to be skilled people. And it is skilled people who will be pivotal in tackling the twin challenges of food security and environmental sustainability, said English farming’s training chief Richard Longthorp today.

Speaking at the launch of farming’s new skills strategy by environment secretary Hilary Benn, he said, the industry was already highly skilled, highly innovative and highly adaptive, and the new AgriSkills Strategy would help demonstrate this fact.

There were several reasons why skills and development activity needed to be recognised, he said.

"Customers, consumers and society need to have  confidence in our product and in our production methods.

“Legislators and compliance bodies need to recognise that professional farmers and growers present less risk and should be treated accordingly.

“School and college leavers and their advisers need to know we are skilled, innovative and highly technical, and can offer personal and professional development opportunities.“

And last, but not least, farmers needed to feel good about themselves, to be able to say, “ I'm a farmer. I produce your food, I manage your countryside. It is a vitally important job. I do it very well, I do it professionally.”

Maybe, said Richard Longthorp, “if we start to feel good about ourselves, others might view us in a more positive light as well.”

The AgriSkills Strategy, "Towards a New Professionalism" is a vision for the future of British agriculture.

It calls for a profitable and sustainable industry capable of meeting the demands and challenges of agriculture and land management in the 21st century.

This will be delivered, says the strategy, by a world-class, competent, innovative and professional workforce whose professionalism is recognised and rewarded.

It says skills development must be fundamental and integral to all farming businesses.

And it stresses that farming must be seen as a career of choice, where the significance of agriculture and land management are recognised and valued by society.
 
“I challenge anybody who has any interest at all in this industry of ours not to feel a resonance, a degree of excitement and justifiable pride in that vision," said Richard Longthorp. "We should do... because it is so, so achievable.”

They walked the chain

A team from Sainsbury's recently walked the Taste the Difference chain — visiting producer Dent and abattoir and processor Cranswick. "A number of them admitted they had been quite nervous about what they might see — especially the vegetarian — but all said they had been pleasantly surprised, and could see the pigs were very well cared for by really professional staff," reports NPA general manager BARNEY KAY, who took part in the exercise. Here is his report...

Soggy but stunning

By Barney Kay

On a rather soggy day, six-strong team from Sainsbury’s headed up to Yorkshire by train to see some of the farms that supply their Taste the Difference pork, and the Cranswick abattoir at Preston, near Hull where the animals are slaughtered.

The day had been organised by Caroline Miller, Sainsbury’s brand sustainability and integrity manager, who told me in advance that most of the people coming had little direct knowledge of farming and it would be their first visit to a pig farm.

They work largely in Sainsbury’s communications team involved in marketing, advertising, media and public affairs. However Natalie Smith, who heads up Sainsbury’s work in the pig and poultry sectors, was on hand to translate the occasional piggy technical talk.
 
We started at the biggest of the Dent breeding farms, with over 2,000 sows on one site. We were met by David Neal, production manager for the whole Dent operation, and his assistant Steve Winfield. They took us round the farm explaining the process from AI/mating through farrowing, rearing and finishing.

Considering the recent weather, I must say the pigs and the land looked great. The dry sows are in a radial system, with the AI taking place in the central tented hub. They operate a simple traffic light system of colour-coded sprays on the sow’s back to make sure they know how many times she’s been AI’d.

They were also using Hampshire boars (specific to the Taste the Difference range for taste/quality attributes) to chase up any coming back into heat. The sows are farrowed individually with the mini paddocks located along the field boundary for ease of access, and the ends are then opened out into a central square where they can all mix once the piglets are old enough. 

David then took us off to one of their finisher units to look at the 40kg pigs in a straw barn. He explained the issues around tail-biting and the reason some farms need to tail-dock, but said that none of the Dent pigs are now tail-docked and they’ve seen very few instances of tail-biting.
 
I found it really interesting to listen to the Sainsbury’s staff and watch and hear their reaction to what they were seeing. A number of them admitted they had been quite nervous about what they might see (especially the vegetarian) but all said they had been pleasantly surprised, and could see that the pigs were very well cared for by really professional staff.
 
Next stop, the Cranswick abattoir that is undergoing a major £12million makeover/rebuild. Dave Long, the abattoir manager, and Stuart Kelman, production director, took us round in two groups where we saw both the packing and slaughter lines.

David and Steve were pleased to see how quiet their pigs were in the lairage. Although it is never a pleasure to watch one’s pigs being killed, they were impressed by the simple efficiency of the electric stunning and sticking operation.

However in the new design Cranswick are moving to gas stunning where the pigs will enter in groups of six and have a much easier walk-in, which should make moving the pigs around in the lairage quite a bit easier. I must admit only ever having seen gas systems physically operating in a plant, it was great to get the chance to step inside one that wasn’t (although I did keep one eye on the door just on case it “accidentally” swung shut!).

I’d not realised how deep the pit was (7 metres) and therefore how many batches of six were in the chamber at any one time. David Neal asked an interesting question. What additional number of British pigs would Cranswick have to slaughter if they replaced their imported pigmeat with British?

An extra 14,000 pigs, was the answer, which would take them from 21,000 to 35,000 a week.
 
The walk round the plant didn’t seem to have diminished Sainsbury appetites as they tucked into a variety of tasty pork dishes which demonstrated the variety of products the Cranswick plant is producing, from roasting joints with stuffing, to tender lean loins.

I was impressed by how keen the Sainsbury’s staff were to learn about the chain, and they have said they want to come out and have a look at some indoor farms to understand the systems that their conventional pork is coming from.

Another positive to come out of the day for me was to meet Mark Rawding from Cranswick who kindly drove us about all day and who did well to answer the peppering of questions from the enthused Sainsbury’s staff. It’s really pleasing that Cranswick have invested in an agriculture manager to facilitate better communication between producers, the processor and the retailers, someone I can tell NPA will enjoy working with.

Fire at pig unit

A new 180-sow farrowing house at one of John Godfrey's units was destroyed by fire on Saturday. The farrowing house will be rebuilt on the same site. As the Godfrey pig enterprise works on a five-week batching system there is time to make alternative short-term arrangements for farrowing sows.

Capital allowances

NPA guide to capital allowances

More weaner exports to Germany this year

The Danish breeding herd increased around four percent last year as producers seek to cash in on the higher price paid for weaners exported to Germany and (to a lesser extent) Poland. Last year weaner exports increased to seven million, a third more than in 2008. The increase in the Danish sow herd indicates a further growth in weaner exports this year.

Tail-biting

Don't let your voice be drowned out. Please make every effort to attend one of these tail-biting meetings. There was excellent attendance at the Uncle Henry's meeting last night in North Lincolnshire.

• February 10: 7pm-9.30pm The Crown, Boroughbridge, North Yorks.
  
  
• February 11: 7pm-9.30pm Driffield Rugby Club, East Yorks.
  
  
• February 23: 7pm-9.30pm Premier Inn, Daventry.
  
  
• February 24: 7pm-9.30pm The Bear, Hodnet.
  
  
• March 2: 7pm-9.30pm. Easton College, Norwich.
  
  
• March 3: 7pm-9.30pm Brome Grange, Near Eye, Suffolk.

For details and how to book a place, click HERE or contact Georgie Fomes, 01354 697200, or email georgie.fomes@adas.co.uk. Also, please let Zoe Davies know at NPA, which workshop you plan to attend.

ABOUT THE MEETINGS: ADAS and Animal Health veterinary officers are presenting interactive workshops open to all producers, unit staff and members of the pig industry. Besides focusing on many trigger factors for tail biting, each speaker will highlight a case study where an eradication programme has been successful. The workshops will close with a panel assembled from the different specialists to discuss resolution of case studies raised by the audience.

Tuesday February 9, 2010

PIVIT initiative update

The Pig Improvement Via Information Technology initiative - or PIVIT - started as an idea to link Farmex Barn Report data with data from a visual imaging system called Qscan. This rapidly grew into a grander scheme to apply the use of real-time monitoring of pig production across the whole of professional United Kingdom pig production. HUGH CRABTREE of Farmex reports on progress...

Funding sought for pilot stage

The belief is that using the principle of process measurement, overall efficiency gains can be made. The original commercial collaborators soon widened to include eminent industry scientist Sandra Edwards, the BPEX knowledge transfer team, and Young NPA.

A cross-section of the industry was invited to attend a meeting in November last year, to give their views on the likely viability of the initiative. The industry meeting attendees were very positive about the potential benefits of widespread application of real-time monitoring in pig production.

A steering group under the chairmanship of John Godfrey was formed and met in January 2010 to consider a project scoping document and plan the next stages of the initiative.

Some modifications to the scoping document were agreed but the main objectives and next immediate stages were adopted:

• Focus on post-wean production stages initially.
  
  
• Seek full funding for a project pilot stage to achieve comprehensive monitoring on 50 production sites to cover a wide range of systems, regions and scale. Simultaneously, set up a data collection and interpretation hub or bureau and put in place routine analysis and reporting procedures for the monitored sites. This stage to be completed within three years of commencement.
  
  
• Commercialise the structure and operation of the pilot stage of the project to allow the best possible chance to achieve successful roll-out across the United Kingdom sector as a whole.
  
  
• The majority of United Kingdom professional pig production sites on line providing real-time data to the PIVIT hub by 2020.

Two sub-groups to deal with project funding and production site selection were set up and they are proceeding with that work currently. Due to major changes in funding priorities and administration it is thought major support for the pilot stage is unlikely to be achieved before April 2011. Therefore, an initial “pilot to the pilot” stage is being considered to allow more immediate progress in the field.

The steering group expects to meet again later in the year and meanwhile is keeping in close contact with project progress - through modern electronic communications, of course.

Producers on the steering group, in addition to chairman John Godfrey, are Ed Rowbottom and Helen Whitney of BQP. — Hugh Crabtree.

Monday February 8, 2010

Feast of Fiddles is coming to Lincolnshire

A Lincolnshire publisher is sponsoring a performance in Lincoln of the acclaimed band Feast of Fiddles, as a way of giving something back to the county he has spent his working life in. “I can think of no better way of saying thank-you to Lincolnshire than to help bring these internationally-acclaimed musicians to the county,” says Digby Scott, managing director of agricultural publisher Arnford Ltd, of Market Rasen. Want to join the 'piggy party' at Lincoln?

Pig-keepers seek advice on environmental enrichment

Pig-keepers are keen for advice on what is, and what isn't, acceptable as environmental enrichment, following publication on Friday of News Digest, which announced a tightening up of assurance requirements.

"It is unfortunate the timing of the assurance rule change was in front of the necessary industry communications work," said NPA chairman Stewart Houston today.

"I understand that other than Integra visits for Tesco, inspector guidance will take a while so producers should not panic, although there will inevitably be extra cost for some."

Stewart Houston is attempting to set up a meeting with Tesco on Integra's interpretation of environmental enrichment rules.

The NPA's recently-formed Manipulable Materials Working Group will hold its first meeting next month when interim guidance will be high on its agenda.

The issue has become an area for intense discussion since the Pig World article, reports Martin Barker, managing director of the company that runs Genesis Quality Assurance.

Genesis and Assured British Pigs are guided in their actions by a joint technical advisory committee, which wants to see greater adherence to the legal requirement to provide environmental enrichment.

Empty spray cans and punctured creep feed bags are among the items currently in use as manipulable materials, and pig-keepers need to know whether they will pass muster at their next assurance audit.

"The industry needs more direction on this," says Martin Barker. "We need to produce a list of what is and what is not acceptable — not necessarily an exhaustive list, but something to give more clarity than is evident at present."

From April the assurance schemes will toughen their stance on manipulable materials, in the belief that currently some pig-keepers are not doing enough to supply environmental enrichment.

• Auditors will check that pigs have permanent access to a ‘sufficient quantity’ of material such as straw, hay, wood, sawdust, mushroom compost, peat, or a combination.
  
  
• Objects such as footballs and deformable-plastic pipe will be regarded as satisfactory only when it can be demonstrated they satisfy investigation and manipulation activities.
  
  
• Auditors will not accept chains alone as environmental enrichment, nor will they accept tyres containing metal or wire.

More about this in the current issue of News Digest for NPA Members.

Flawed report

Despite what you may have read, there is no conclusive link between eating red meat and cancer. More on this later in the week.

BPEX production definitions

If you are an outdoor producer please study these BPEX production definitions and let NPA’s Barney Kay have your thoughts by February 15, so he can feed back a summary of views to BPEX.

At present there is no legal definition of ‘free range’, ‘outdoor bred’ and ‘outdoor reared’ pigmeat. And some in the pig industry have considered the liberal use of the term ‘outdoor’ on packaging to be a public relations howler waiting to happen.

NPA regional meetings

The next round of NPA regional meetings will be as follows:

SOUTH-CENTRAL REGION
Monday 29 March, 6.30pm-9.30pm, Newbury Rugby Club.

NORTHERN REGION
Thursday 15 April, 6.30pm-9.30pm, The Crown Hotel, Boroughbridge.

EAST ANGLIA REGION
Tuesday 20 April, 4.00pm-7.00pm, Athelington Hall (Peter Havers), Eye.

National meeting for allied industry people

NPA is to hold a national allied industry meeting on Wednesday March 24 at the Haycock Hotel, which is on the A1 near Peterborough.

We want to update allied industry people on all the issues facing pig producers, which in turn will help them make the right choices to shape their businesses so they can continue offering pig producers an excellent and essential service, says Peter Rollings, chairman of NPA’s Allied Industry Group.

Speakers will include producer Mike Sheldon and BPEX director Mick Sloyan.

The meeting will discuss NPA’s work on behalf of its allied industry members and seek views on what allied industry members want for their representative organisation.

It event is free and open to both members and non-members. It starts 10am and ends 2.30pm.

AGENDA

• 10am–10.30am: Registration and tea/coffee.
  
  
• Welcome and introduction (Peter Rollings).
  
  
• Challenges and opportunities for pig producers through the next decade (Mike Sheldon).
  
  
• Market signals – do the trends back up the predictions? (Mick Sloyan, BPEX).
  
  
• The NPA Allied Industry Group – what does it do for you? (Peter Rollings).
  
  
• Break-out groups. Attendees will split into four groups to discuss a range of issues including how they can align business to the needs of the customer and what the NPA Allied Industry Group can do for its members.
  
  
• Feedback to the main group and discussion.
  
  
• 13.30pm–14.30 Lunch and depart.

Invite and faxback form.