January 15 2010

Don't want them, don't need them

Sea Eagles last flew over the skies of Suffolk around 200 years ago, and production of food in the county has been transformed since then, said Jimmy Butler at this week’s meeting of NPA Producer Group.

“We’ve got free-range pigs and free-range chickens now and we just don’t need these large predators. In Scotland? Fantastic — they don’t have too many outdoor pigs and outdoor chickens there. In Suffolk? No — we don’t need them and we don’t want them.”

Updating Producer Group on a campaign by livestock farmers in the county to stop Natural England reintroducing the large birds of prey, he said the government agency had proposed introducing 15 birds a year to the Suffolk coastline, for the next five years, costing up to £1m of taxpayers' money.

“The background is that they were originally going to introduce the birds in Suffolk, but got stopped, then they went to Norfolk, and got properly stopped — and now they’ve come back to Suffolk,” he said.

Following campaigning by farmers, Natural England had said it would delay its plans until at least 2011. “We will continue our fight,” said Jimmy Butler. “We will try and get them onto free-range chicken farms and outdoor pig units, so that they can understand what the problems would be.”

Firm demand this spring

No fireworks, but a very satisfactory trading day at a time of year that sellers normally dread, reports Traffic Lights. And with the DAPP holding up well at 138.29p (compared with 130.5p a year ago) the stage is set for firm demand this spring. Traffic Lights commentary.

We've been checking up on him...

We did a quick check with producers and they agreed we should definitely ask Chris Fogden to join Pig World's team of producer-columnists. So we asked him, and he said, "Aw-shucks you guys, people have heard enough from me..." But after a bit of arm-twisting he agreed. His first column will be in February and, as you might expect, there will be a passing reference to the weather.

NPA to challenge retailers over porcine blood plasma in imported pigmeat

Blood plasma in pig diets will continue to be banned by British pig assurance schemes because of the risk of cannabilism, NPA Producer Group decided this week.

“We want to reiterate the importance of our high food safety and welfare standards,” said NPA chairman Stewart Houston, “and we will be challenging British supermarkets to demonstrate the pigmeat they import from the continent does not come from units where blood plasma is fed cannibalistically in pig diets.”

Most baby-pig diets manufactured on the continent, contain significant levels of blood plasma, which may include porcine blood plasma. This raises a question mark over how much pigmeat imported to Britain meets British standards.

More about this in the Members Area.

'Swine flu' ends with a whimper

From the Philadelphia Inquirer: "Hidden within the latest edition of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's FluView was this sentence: "The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza was below the epidemic threshold." That's right: The great American swine flu epidemic — which led to two proclaimed national emergencies and thousands of spooky news stories — has ended with a whimper.

BPEX supports Europe's "place of farming" plan

BPEX says it stands four-square behind Europe's plans for compulsory "place of farming" labelling.

Citing new Food Standards Authority research, it says consumers are confused over existing country-of-origin labelling, which can be misleading.

“English pig farmers have long fought for clearer labelling to provide unambiguous consumer choice and confidence," says BPEX director Mick Sloyan.

He says the new European rules, when introduced, together with a voluntary code currently being drawn up in England, will clearly differentiate Quality Standard Mark pork from imported pork.

When the England voluntary code is introduced, companies who have signed up to it will clearly display the origin of the pork on the front of the packet.

A declaration that the meat is, for example, "British", will mean the animal was born, reared, and slaughtered in Britain.

There will also be an end to ambiguous terms such as "Produced in the UK" as the origin of the meat will be declared.

The voluntary agreement was reached by members of the Defra Pig Meat Supply Chain Task Force.

January 14 2010

Swine dystentery disclosure: a battle for hearts and minds

Should pig-keepers be compelled to disclose whether they have swine dysentery in their pigs?

This difficult subject was discussed by NPA Producer Group yesterday after it emerged that around 20 Yorkshire units — possibly more — are showing clinical signs of swine dysentery, but only one of the units is signed up to Yorkshire and Humberside Health’s Swine Dysentery Charter.

Although some Producer Group members were in favour of compulsion, probably through farm assurance, the prevailing view was that a campaign for hearts and minds, with the help of abattoirs and feed companies, may initially be a better way to proceed than compulsion.

The debate was prompted by a paper by Dr Sam Hoste, one of the consultants running the successful Yorkshire and Humberside Health project, which is funded by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, and BPEX.

Around 40 pig units in the region are affected with swine dysentery, with pigs on around half of these showing clinical signs of the disease.

The aim of regional health programmes is to reduce costs and increase productivity in the national pig heard by targeting action against disease, says Sam Hoste in his paper.

But how can this be achieved if some pig-keepers refuse to share information about their disease status, he wonders.

“How can we increase transparency of infection status information and how do we communicate such information so as not to cause alarm and stigmatise some producers?”

He has invited NPA Producer Group to consider the merits of voluntary disclosure versus compulsory disclosure of health status.

The advantages of voluntary disclosure (which is how Yorkshire and Humberside Health and its east of England equivalent Eastern Pig Health work at present) are that it encourages producer and vet cooperation and leaves producers in charge of implementing their own disease control plans, he says.

But the disadvantages are that it demands a high level of commitment and cooperation between producers and vets, it doesn’t encompass other regions, and it relies on participation, honesty and cooperation.

Sam Hoste flags up a number of ways the producers could be compelled to reveal their disease status, including making disclosure a condition of farm assurance membership.

This could bring a quick win for the industry, he says, but on the other hand it wouldn’t cover non-assured units, nor would it encourage producer cooperation.

Commenting on the points raised in Sam Hoste’s paper, Yorkshire and Humberside Health chairman Richard Lister was inclined, yesterday, to take a hard-nosed view and favour compulsion.

“Yorkshire and Humberside Health is finding it very frustrating getting people to be open about disease,” he said. "When I look at the options, to me — being a dictator — compulsory disclosure would sort out a lot of problems, but you may alienate some producers and some vets.”

Phil Stephenson, also a member of the Yorkshire and Humberside Health steering group, was inclined to take a similarly hard line. “To make real progress I think you will have to compel people,” he said.

But Producer Group chairman Howard Revell favoured a hearts-and-minds approach, with a bit of arm-twisting by feed companies and abattoirs.

“We need to use a carrot and stick. One of the reasons for not signing up to a swine dysentery charter is that people fear hauliers won’t want to come onto their farm or they will be pushed right down to the bottom of the queue.

“So you have to make that your stick. You have to let people know they cannot have a Monday delivery unless they disclose their health.”

“And the carrot,” he said, “should be explaining to people who have swine dysentery on their units that they won’t be stigmatised and the biosecurity measures they will be asked to put in place will not be onerous — but to have the disease and just keep your head down is unacceptable.”

The meeting heard that if a majority of people could be persuaded to sign up to the swine dysentery charters, people would be able to draw their own conclusions about the health status of those who had not signed up.

Digby Scott said the industry might consider publishing in Pig World the names of those who had signed the charters.

Being identified in this way would not signify a unit was free of swine dysentery, or that it had swine dysentery — but it would show the unit concerned took an active interest in disease prevention and that its status could be checked by other members of the charter if they had good reason, he said.

Philip Richardson, chairman of Assured British Pigs, was doubtful about the wisdom of using farm assurance as a mechanism for forcing pig-keepers to disclose their health status.

At the very least, he said, before that could happen there should be clear protocols in place covering testing methods for swine dysentery and actions to be taken in the presence of the disease.

He supported the proposition that abattoirs ask pig-keepers to disclose their health status, because this was information they had a reasonable right to know.

“Assurance often gets caned by producers and the only way to get doubters to sign up to it, is for the abattoirs to accept pigs only from assured units. I think the same applies with disclosure of health status.

“Also,” he said, “if you pursue this through the abattoirs instead of through assurance, it will take some of the flak off me!”

NPA chairman Stewart Houston — who is the architect behind the two regional health schemes — said swine dysentery had the highest profile in the two regional health initiatives because it was the disease with the greatest stigma attached to it.

“I always felt that at some stage we might have to make disclosure of health status part of farm assurance, but it is a big step.

“If the overall health initiative goes the way I originally envisaged it, we ought to know the health status of all the pigs, so that if Unit A wants to move pigs to Unit B, and Unit B is in a clean area and Unit A is in a dirty area, we ideally want a system that says ‘Whoaaa... you mustn’t really do that’.

“That is the situation we need to get to long-term, but whether there is the appetite to make disclosure part of farm assurance at this stage, I don’t know.”

In the meantime, the problem would be mainly with pig-keepers who weren’t assured, who didn’t read Pig World and who weren’t members of NPA, he said.

On a more positive note, stage two of the two regional health initiatives could make money available to individual pig-keepers to help them with their health programmes, he explained. And that might be an incentive for more pig-keepers to disclose their health status.

NPA Producer Group agreed that Howard Revell and Richard Lister, together with Charlotte Evans, of BPEX, should attend the next British Meat Processors Association pigmeat meeting, to seek the help of abattoirs.

Members area

The NPA Members Area has been updated this morning, and will be updated again later in the day.

Manipulable Materials Working Group

NPA is to set up a Manipulable Materials Working Group to give producers practical advice on what materials are likely to prove both effective, and acceptable to assurance assessors (who will be adopting a tougher line in future). More on this tomorrow.

Defra must take a lead on IPPC

Unless Defra steps in and helps resolve difficulties over the way the Environment Agency is regulating IPPC, Hilary Benn’s words at the Oxford Farming Conference will look increasingly hollow, NPA Producer Group heard at its meeting yesterday.

Benn has pledged to help farmers produce as much as they can, whilst using fewer resources.

But his strategy for the future of farming will be compromised unless some of the more extreme activities of regulators are reined in, said Producer Group invitee Digby Scott.

The meeting discussed a recent promise by farms minister Jim Fitzpatrick to chair a meeting between NPA and the Environment Agency over the way the Agency is preventing pig-keepers from putting up new, more environmentally-effective housing.

NPA general manager Barney Kay said he appreciated the minister’s offer and had been in touch with his office for a meeting to be called as soon as possible.

“But we must have senior people there, from both Defra and the Agency,” he said, “or we won't get anywhere.” He said it was essential Defra be prepared to take a lead on IPPC policy matters.

What's the point?

Is there any point in NPA having dealings with Compassion in World Farming when it seems set on confrontation with the British pig industry, probably in a bid to increase its own membership?

This was the question raised by members at yesterday’s NPA Producer Group meeting - and it provoked passionate debate, with some members saying the association should keep communication channels open and others saying there was no point, because Compassion in World Farming would treat pig producers as its whipping boy, whatever they did.

The meeting agreed that unlike RSPCA, with which NPA and BPEX had a good working relationship, Compassion in World Farming presented an unbalanced picture of British pig production.

Members said that whether NPA sought to have a dialogue with Compassion in World Farming or not, the association should step up its work with MEPs, MPs and retailers, to explain the truth about welfare on British pig units, covering such issues as manipulable materials.

NPA chairman Stewart Houston stressed that high welfare on livestock farms was in the best interests of all producers, but it could only be driven by profit.

“By seeking to damage our ability to make an economic return, Compassion in World Farming is in danger of hampering the cause of improved welfare on pig units,” he said.

Outdoor pigs and whole-farm N

There has been no visible progress yet on NPA’s drive to clarify new NVZ rules on stocking rates for outdoor pigs. But general manager Barney Kay is confident the issue will be resolved in the near future.

Outdoor producers on rented land used to be able to account their sows’ nitrogen deposition across the whole farm. But the Defra guideline allowing this was withdrawn when the new NVZ rules were introduced last year.

Barney Kay has raised the issue with Defra, which has promised to work with NPA and the Environment Agency to resolve the issue.

“That meeting has not taken place yet,” he told yesterday’s NPA Producer Group meeting. “But I will keep pressing our case and I am confident of a satisfactory outcome, probably through Defra issuing a common letter on the subject.”

NPA at this year's Pig Fair

NPA will celebrate its tenth anniversary at this year’s Pig Fair with a display of some of the key moments during a turbulent decade for the pig industry, which saw two outbreaks of foot and mouth and one of classical swine fever.

It will be hoping to coax non-members onto its stand to discuss, an an informal atmosphere, the benefits of NPA membership.

To this end it will be displaying a series of cost:benefit examples of how NPA repays members’ subscriptions many times over, every year.

The series will include examples published in this month’s Pig World - the “Morrison’s penny”, manipulable materials, ear-tagging and IPPC.

It will also cover NPA successes - in partnership with BPEX - on outdoor stocking rates, imported weaners and public perception of new variant flu.

Although NPA is seen as one of farming’s most effective bodies, it needs to represent at least two-thirds of English pig production if it is to have maximum clout with government departments, regulators and farming’s lead representative organisation, the NFU.

In another strand to its membership drive, NPA is compiling a list of pig keepers who are not yet members.

At yesterday's NPA Producer Group meeting, general manager Barney Kay asked members to help him set up meetings with some of the people on the list, to give him the opportunity to explain the benefits of membership.

Pig Fair is May 11-12.

NPA challenges Environment Agency emissions modelling

NPA may commission environment specialists to assess whether the Environment Agency is playing fair over the way it measures ammonia emissions.

The way the Agency assesses the amounts of ammonia put into the air from IPPC pig units is probably seriously flawed, says NPA Producer Group.

Professional consultants share the group’s view. One consulting company is reported to have said it will only model emissions in the way the Agency requires if it can add a disclaimer to its work.

NPA is to look at commissioning an independent report on the Agency’s ammonia modelling methods.

“I think the Agency may be indulging in pseudo-science,” said Philip Richardson at yesterday’s NPA Producer Group meeting. “I strongly suggest we get an alternative scientific view to show Defra.”

Producer Group members exchanged information about the way the Environment Agency is regulating IPPC, and concluded its new way of modelling ammonia emissions is probably designed to show worst-case results.

Producers wanted to invest in new more environmentally housing but the Agency’s long-winded permitting process - which was taking up to 18 months - was in danger of bringing industry investment to a halt, the meeting heard.

Green light for supermarket ombudsman

Consumer minister Kevin Brennan has accepted the Competition Commission’s recommendation for a body to enforce the Groceries Supply Code of Practice.

The government agrees with the Competition Commission’s recommendation that the new Groceries Supply Code of Practice needs to be enforced independently to prevent retailers being able to pass excessive risks and unexpected costs on to their suppliers, and that any enforcement body should have the important power of hearing anonymous complaints.

The Code of Practice comes into force on 4 February and this will be quickly followed by a consultation, beginning in February, on how best to enforce it.

The new, tougher code and proper enforcement will mean the grocery supply market works in the long term best interest of consumers.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said yesterday, “The new ombudsman will help strike the right balance between farmers and food producers getting a fair deal, and supermarkets enabling consumers to get the high quality British food that they want, at an affordable price.”

“Helping our farmers produce as much as they can, while using fewer resources is at the heart of the government’s food strategy, which was published last week.”

“The agri-food sector is Britain’s biggest manufacturing sector, worth £80.5bn to the economy and employing 3.6m people, so it is vital that the market operates fairly. The new code and ombudsman, the result of two intensive investigations by the Competition Commission since 2000, will ensure the market works effectively and in consumers best interest.”

State aid investigation

Brussels has launched a formal investigation into a Belgian state aid covering the cost of removing and disposing of fallen stock in Wallonia. The case relates to a decision adopted by the Commission in 2003, allowing for state aid to cover the cost of the removal, storage, transformation and destruction of fallen stock, subject to conditions. A preliminary investigation by the Commission has revealed the Belgian authorities failed to implement these modifications conditions and continued to grant aid for the destruction of carcasses at a rate of 100 percent.

January 12 2010

Thank-you lorry drivers

"Thank God for helpful lorry drivers for both livestock and feeds. Without their goodwill we would be in trouble. While we work long hours to do the routine things let's not forget a word of thanks to others who also have to go the extra mile to help us." More.

Manure disposal problem

The Water Framework Directive may require action in some catchment areas to reduce phosphorous and this could result in further restrictions on slurry spreading.

This will pose a problem for regulators as well as farmers. It means arable farmers who are prevented from using manure due to phosphorous limits will need to apply more imported artifical fertiliser to ensure their crops receive sufficient nitrogen, meanwhile livestock farmers will have a manure disposal problem.

Members area

The NPA members area has been updated this morning.

Finland offers grants for pig welfare

Following recent revelations of welfare violations on pig farms, the Finnish agriculture minister has promised tougher animal welfare rules with more generous state support – providing an incentive of up to 75 percent of the extra costs. Pig farm conditions have been investigated after an animal rights organisation released photographs and videos of pigs being kept in poor conditions. The investigation also drew attention to the standard of supervisory visits by vets and has led to calls for slaughterhouses to take more responsibility for pig welfare.

January 11 2010

Pigs fine — people knackered

Outdoor sows are being well cared for during this prolonged cold period — but farm staff are suffering as they battle to cram extra work into short winter days.

We asked Ian Campbell to run a quick health-check on the East Anglia region this afternoon, and his verdict is: "Pigs fine — people knackered".

Whilst indoor units struggle with frozen wet-feed and water pipes caused by exceptional conditions, outdoor producers seem in the main geared up for the difficult conditions, because they experience them to a greater or lesser degree every winter.

One outdoor producer estimated his unit spent 37 man-hours last week delivering bowsers of water to the pigs.

As extra work puts pressure on the routine running of pig units there is a risk productivity will dip in spring.

"It is at times like this, when workload has doubled, or even trebled, that the wisdom of investing in a good AI system becomes particularly apparent," said Ian Campbell.

Slurry storage under pressure

The Environment Agency says it will allow farmers who have run out of storage to spread slurry and waste on snow-covered or frozen soil.

Farmers will be allowed to spread only if storage is in danger of overflowing and if there is no alternative temporary storage available.

Any farmer who is facing slurry or surplus milk storage problems should call the Agency's helpline, 08708 506506.

If they have to take advantage of this relaxing of the rules, producers should choose areas of fields that do not directly drain into surface waters such as ponds, or streams and rivers, advises Nigel Penlington, of BPEX. Spread very thinly and only spread sufficient to alleviate the risk of overflowing.

Good animal welfare is driven
by pence-per-kilo

By Digby Scott

Good animal welfare depends on pig producers making a profit.

This is National Pig Association's key message in its response to a consultation by the Farm Animal Welfare Council.

“It is a message retailers should have uppermost in their minds at all times,” said NPA chairman Stewart Houston today.

“In effect they determine welfare levels on farms because they have the power to use cheap lower-welfare imports to regulate the price that British producers are paid for their pigs.”

In NPA’s response to the Farm Animal Welfare Council consultation, Dr Zoe Davies says all good pig units have biosecurity and veterinary health plans in place.

But larger, more expensive actions to improve animal welfare — such as rebuilding and updating pig housing, and repopulating herds — depends entirely on producer income.

“During the recent recession even producers who were able to show a good credit rating were denied loans from the banks, although this issue appears to be easing now,” she says.

She cites the Environment Agency as another impediment to improving animal welfare standards.

“Producers with units falling under IPPC regulations are being stymied in their efforts to rebuild and reinvest.

“Excessive delays to the application process, and additional financial outlay, are commonly seen before variations to existing IPPC permits, or new permits, are approved.”

The Farm Animal Welfare Council is an independent advisory body set up 30 years ago by government with a brief to continually review welfare of farm animals on farms, in transit, at market and at slaughter.

The council’s consultation seeks information on the impact of diseases on animal welfare, and is headed by council member and Lincolnshire pig producer Meryl Ward.

It comes at a time when a coterie of European IPPC regulators are planning stricter enforcement of IPPC, which in turn could increase the IPPC stranglehold on better housing for pigs.

• More on Zoe Davies' report in February Pig World.

Tomorrow's workshop cancelled

The BPEX workshop "Trouble-shooting ventilation" to have been help at Uncle Henry’s in North Lincolnshire tomorrow, has been cancelled because of the poor weather, reports organiser Angela Cliff.

Collapsed buildings

The majority of Scottish farmers are managing to cope with the current winter conditions and are helping others in their community to do the same, according to Scotland’s farming union.

However a number of localised problems have been emerging over the past few days and NFU Scotland is establishing local helplines to address the issues.
The localised problems fall into four areas:

• Collapsed farm buildings leaving animals without shelter.
• Lack of fuel (both domestic heating oil and farm transport diesel, which have 2-3 week delivery estimates in some areas).
• Difficulty in getting access to livestock on hilly ground.
• Blocked rural roads.

Through its helplines, NFU Scotland plans to help tackle these issues.  It will put farmers who have lost buildings in touch with other farmers who have some livestock accommodation, which can be used in an emergency.  It is also seeking to identify any other providers of temporary accommodation.

Farmers are being encouraged to continue sharing fuel amongst themselves, but any localised shortage will be identified and information fed into Scottish government and local authorities. 

The union is also trying to identify farms that need special caterpillar-track vehicles, likes those used by the Forestry Commission, to reach stranded animals on hill ground.

Whilst many of issues are being addressed by the industry itself, the Scottish government has offered its assistance in relation to any specifically identified fuel or access problems.

“Farmers are being extremely resilient, as they always are in times likes these,” said NFU Scotland chief executive James Withers.

“Most are faring comparatively well under the most severe and prolonged winter freeze many have faced in nearly 50 years. They are also finding time to help others in the community.

“However, we are aware of localised problems. Scores of buildings, both old and modern, have been collapsing in the north-east, Highlands, Borders and even Lanarkshire.

“Fuel availability is likely to emerge as a growing issue.  Problems gaining access to farms and a backlog of orders means delivery times for fuel are around two weeks in the Borders and three weeks in the north-east. 

“Again, we’re encouraging farmers to keep working together to share resources. If we can identify areas of specific problems we will see if we can get fuel moved into central locations for collection.  This is one of a number issues discussed with Scottish government officials.

“Many farmers are struggling to move around their farms, which is causing some localised concerns in terms of accessing animals who are stranded in snow and desperately short of feed. We have heard of many farmers seeking to buy or hire vehicles with caterpillar tracks, however delivery times are long. 

“Other industries, such as forestry, use these types of vehicles and we’re looking at arranging local access to these vehicles where problems become acute.

Danish pig exodus will continue

Danish producers will send even more weaners and finishers to Germany this year, in search of better prices, according to pundits in Germany.

German pig production is expected to grow 3 percent this year, and imports of weaners and finishers will grow a massive 9 percent (to 1.3m animals), predicts a German organisation representing agricultural and retail companies.

German’s own sow herd fell over 3 percent last year. About 10 percent of producers sold their sow herds, some to concentrate on finishing bought-in pigs.

No help from government on Scottish NVZs

NFU Scotland has been working with enforcement authorities to find a commonsense solution to the temporary problem of slurry storage and disposal on Scottish livestock farms caused by the extreme cold weather.

The prolonged cold snap has made it impossible for livestock producers to comply with the current rules that prohibit the spreading of livestock slurry on ground that is either frozen or covered with snow.

Virtually all of Scotland’s farmland has been has been affected and some slurry stores on farms are nearing capacity.

For those farmers in areas not affected by Nitrate Vulnerable Zone legislation, the enforcement agency is the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Discussions between NFU Scotland and the agency have seen the agency recognise that where stores are full, a farmer has little choice but to spread slurry.  Before this  happens, the farmer must contact his local Scottish Environment Protection Agency office.

In NVZ areas, the enforcement authority regarding slurry disposal is the Scottish government. NFU Scotland discussions with government officials have yet to identify a pragmatic solution to alleviate the pressure on those livestock keepers in NVZs.

“We have yet to get the Scottish government to agree to a similar approach being taken in NVZ areas. This is disappointing and we will continue to discuss the matter with officials in the hope that this can be resolved,” said NFU Scotland policy director Scott Walker last week.

Premium for local pigs

An interesting experiment is taking part in the French district of Lozère, where five butchers have joined forces to support local pig production.

They have introduced a collective brand, “De Lozère” for GM-free pigs, born, reared and slaughtered in Lozère. Producer prices are agreed yearly.

The pigs are a bit heavier than standard. The majority are slaughtered at 90-110kg and earn 144p a kilo, which is a worthwhile premium on the average European price of currently circa 120p.

At present this is a small-scale operation representing around 20 pigs a week. But it could grow, if consumer response is positive.