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monday june 14,2010

Above: Now that's what you call a slurry tanker. Made on Pig World columnist Neil Unger's farm in Oz, it carries 12 tonnes. (Photo: Sam Walton.)

How to do a carbon
audit on your pig unit

By Digby Scott

What do you think the biggest carbon polluter is on the average arable farm? No, not the grain drier, which is what I thought.

It's the bagged nitrogen fertiliser. So if pig producers are going to have to pay a carbon tax of about £16 a tonne in future (see "Carbon tax on farming" below) they at least have the advantage of producing much of their own NPK for crops.

The tax won't be introduced this year but it is on the way, so now might be a good time for all pig producers to carry out a carbon audit and see where changes can be made.

Some may already have done this, to satisfy the requirements of their supply chain.

• One way of doing an audit is to call in the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group.
  
  
• Another is to use the C Plan Calculator created by Scottish farmers Drew and Jan Coulter.

The Coulters wanted to know the total greenhouse gas emissions from their farm so they could understand how big a problem they might have when a carbon tax on farming is introduced.

Having built the carbon calculator for their own use, they decided to make it available to other farmers, with the help of a small grant to get their website up and running. There are two calculators —one is free, the other requires a small payment.

The Farming and Wildlife Group says carbon footprint reports can be a useful business tool.

It quotes one farmer as saying,  "Carrying out the carbon footprint really made us think about our costs, especially electricity and fuel. You don't really know where you are until you get a carbon footprint done. We are all aware of what we should be doing, but need to identify ways in which we can effectively reduce emissions and costs at the same time."

Another said, "Getting ready for the calculations was a useful exercise. It made me stop and remind myself to look at our costs and inputs. The visit prompted me to check the timer and think about what lights were being left on unnecessarily."

Defra, the Carbon Trust and the British Standards Institution are currently working on a standard carbon calculator for the agriculture industry.

Here is the Carbon Trust carbon footprint calculator.

There are two kinds of carbon audit, explains the Scottish Agricultural College.

The whole farm approach is useful for farmers wanting to measure their carbon footprint for benchmarking purposes and as a basis to develop strategies for reducing emissions, whilst lifecycle analysis can be used to measure emissions from a product.

"In both instances the calcuations use internationally agreed guidelines and emissions factors although it is recognised that emissions such as methane from animals and nitrous oxide from fertlisers can be affected by a number of different factors."

(What I'd like you to do, but I doubt you will, is to carry out an audit and then forward the results to this website, so we could publish some kind of anonymous benchmark figures as a guide to others.)

Should Danish Crown become
a public limited company?

If Danish Crown wants to expand where is it going to get the money from? Should it become a public limited company?

This was the starting point for a discussion at a meeting of the Danish Crown board of representatives last week.

Given its declining supply of pigs, dramatically changing conditions in the financial markets and a desire, nevertheless, to create growth, it was decided the time is right to resume a debate that first started in Danish Crown in 2005.

Only this time, the intention is that the debate will result in a decision by the members, in the not too distant future.

It proved to be an emotional discussion which touched on deep-rooted historical values.

Alternatives suggested at the meeting included keeping the current cooperative structure, and bringing in external investors on board through a share scheme.

The current debate on ownership of Danish Crown will help determine its future strategy as a globally-oriented food company.

"It was a very exciting discussion at an interesting point in time, where we are seeing increasing optimism in primary production.

"Therefore I am also very keen to see how the debate on the form of ownership develops at this summer's meetings for members where it is on the agenda," said Erik Bredholt, deputy chairman of Danish Crown's board of directors.

Sea Eagle plan is grounded

As highlighted on this page last week ("Golden era beckons") the government's drive to cut wasteful public spending will bring benefits to pig producers.

For instance, Natural England has announced today that it is withdrawing funding for a project that would have seen Sea Eagles introduced to East Anglia, where they would have spooked sows and preyed on young pigs.

"This is a victory for commonsense and for good sound lobbying," says CLA. But RSPB says it will try to find a way to fund the project itself, so the battle is not won yet.

Jimmy Butler is among those mentioned in CLA dispatches for help with the stop-the-sea-eagle campaign. Here he is on BBC news today.

sunday June 13, 2010

Iconic slogan has had its day

By Digby Scott

For over 20 years United States pig producers have pinned their marketing ambitions on their "The Other White Meat" slogan. But currently sales are stagnant, so perhaps it is time for a change.

"The Other White Meat" changed consumer perception of pork, highlighting its lean, healthy, versatile characteristics. But the slogan has lost its impact in recent years.

The National Pork Board won't drop it completely as a marketing tool, but it will no longer be the focal point of advertising campaigns. A new branding campaign will be launched next March.

"I don't think anybody could have imagined it would become as iconic as it has become," said Mark Williams, who helped develop the slogan.

Above: "The Other White Meat" was widely imitated, not least by vegetarian groups.

Below: The success of "The Other White Meat" provoked a spate of retaliatory adverts.

Carbon tax on farming

A timetable for the introduction of a carbon tax on farmers will be considered by the European Commission later this month.

An internal working document suggests the minimum charge would be circa £16 per tonne of CO2 emitted.

New minimum levels of tax per energy content might also apply, with favourable levels for sustainable biofuels and higher rates for more polluting energy sources such as coal.

Taxing sectors such as farming is thought by Brussels to be a cost-effective way for member countries to reach their commitments under the European Union climate and energy package.

saturday June 12, 2010

GM inflexibility will
cause more hardship

There was concern last year when several loads of maize were rejected at the European Union border because they contained specks of a GM maize variety not, at the time, approved in the European Union.

Amid fears that exporters of maize and, crucially, soya would find less troublesome markets than Europe, there were demands by MEPs for a more flexible approach by the European Union and in response the European Commission promised a "technical solution".

But so far no solution has been forthcoming. This week MEPs called on the Commission to explain why it has delayed the publication of its technical solution for low level presence of non-authorised GM products in European Union imports.

A number of European Parliament agriculture committee MEPs are urging the Commission to "bring forward without further delay the Commission's proposal for a practical measure" to address the European Union's zero tolerance policy.

The MEPs fear that if this isn't done there will be "further cost, hardship and inefficiencies for Europe's hard-pressed food and animal feed sectors".

There will be a response from the European Commission within six weeks. Officials in the health and consumer department have previously indicated the dossier will probably not be dealt with until the end of the year.

Why pork labelling will
never be the same again

By Digby Scott

Europe is moving towards a dramatic change in the meat labelling landscape, where genuine country of farming information must be given, fast food sellers will have to declare where their meat comes from, and illustrations will be banned if they might make shoppers think that Dutch bacon comes from the English shires.

Where processors claim it is impractical to put country of origin on the label, they will be be given the stark choice of using the unappealing statement "Of unspecified origin" instead.

Whilst the European Commission and some ministers are probably lukewarm about genuine transparency, most members of the European Parliament are clear, from public feedback, that genuine origin information must, for the first time, be included on all meat labels.

But for British pig-keepers it is all a matter of timing. Ideally they need to see new country of origin rules in place before sterling strengthens significantly against the euro or there is a downturn in the pig price cycle.

The next step towards an all-new labelling regulation will be on Tuesday and Wednesday next week when the European Parliament debates points of difference between itself and Brussels on labelling.

There are concerns that a majority of MEPs will favour an impact assessment on country of origin labelling. This could delay its introduction, leading to several more years of British consumers being misled. NPA has been in touch with agriculture minister Jim Paice about this.

This is such a big shake-up of labelling law that MEPs are determined to get it right. They are particularly concerned not to overburden shoppers with more information than they need.

German MEP Renate Sommer, the European Parliament's rapporteur on labelling, has been critical of the Brussels approach to labelling as lacking science and being over-complicated.

"The fact that the Commission drew up the proposal for a regulation without consulting outside experts is both remarkable and alarming. It is also mystifying that the proposal should have been submitted at a time when, although the results of piecemeal scientific research are available, a broad-based study covering all the member states has only just been started," she said.

The European Parliament environment committee is in favour of mandatory country of origin labelling and has in general demanded that more backbone into the proposed regulation.

At Strasbourg next week, MEPs will debate, and make amendments to the European Parliament's current position which is as follows.

• Country of origin or place of provenance must be given on all meat, poultry, dairy products and fresh fruit and veg labels.
  
  
• For meat and poultry, the country of origin or place of provenance may be given as a single place for animals only where the animals have been born, reared and slaughtered in the same country or place.
  
  
• In other cases, information on each of the different places of birth, rearing and slaughter must be given.
  
  
• Where it is impractical to label the country of origin, the following statement may be given instead, "Of unspecified origin".

The European Parliament environment committee says that where meat is concerned, it is not appropriate to indicate only one place of origin, if it is different for birth, rearing and slaughtering.

"Surveys have shown that information about the place where the animals were born, reared and slaughtered is of high importance for consumers."

• In all cases, the indication of country of origin or place of provenance should be provided in a manner which does not deceive the consumer and on the basis of clearly defined criteria which ensure a level playing field for the industry and improve consumers' understanding of the information related to the country of origin or place of provenance of a food. Such criteria should not apply to indications related to the name or address of the food business operator.
  
  
• Foods originating from third countries may only be distributed within the European Union once they fulfill the requirements of the new European Union regulation on labelling.
  
  
• A place where a food is processed cannot be regarded as a place of provenance.
  
  
• The description and/or pictorial representation of food must not mislead consumers with regard to its nature, identity, properties, composition, individual ingredients and their quantity in the product, durability, country of origin or place of provenance, method of manufacture or production.
  
  
• Mass caterers who serve standardised food, eg. fast food chains, must provide the following information on the package: name, ingredients, allergens, and country of origin of the food, as well as a nutrition declaration.

PROGRESS SO FAR

The aim of the draft legislation on labelling is to modernise, simplify and clarify food labelling in the European Union. In the run-up to next week's debate, the state of play in the co-decision process between the European Commission and the European Parliament is as follows:

• Mandatory nutrition information
  Environment committee MEPs have agreed that key nutritional information, such as energy content, and amounts of fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugar and salt, must be mandatory for all foodstuffs across the European Union. To this list they have added proteins, fibre and natural and artificial transfats, the inclusion of which, under the Commission proposal, would have been voluntary. All mandatory nutrition information should be given on the front of the pack. But since energy content is the most important item for consumers, MEPs have added specific rules to guarantee its visibility.
  
  
• Traffic lights
  A plan for mandatory "traffic light" labels has been rejected.
  
  
• Clear labelling of "imitated food"
  MEPs have strengthened the rules to ensure that consumers are not misled by the presentation of food packaging.
  
  
• Mandatory country of origin labelling
  MEPs want the country of origin to be stated for meat, poultry, dairy products, fresh fruit and vegetables and other single-ingredient products as well as for meat, poultry and fish when used as an ingredient in processed food.
  
  
• Legibility
  The environment committee recommended replacing the Commission's proposed requirement that all information be given in a minimum font size of 3mm with a stipulation that information be given in such a way as to ensure clear legibility. It asked the Commission to draw up guidelines to ensuring the legibility of consumer information on food.
  
  
• Alcoholic beverages
  MEPs voted to exclude alcoholic beveragres from the mandatory nutritional declaration requirement.
  
  
• Nutrient profiles deleted
  MEPs voted to delete the nutrient profiles, foreseen in the regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods.
  
  
• Entry into force
  To give the industry enough time to adapt to the new rules, the regulation would enter into force 20 days after its publication in the European Union Official Journal, but the rules on nutrition labelling would take effect from three years thereafter. For food business operators with fewer than 100 employees and an annual turnover and/or annual balance sheet total under £4m they would take effect five years thereafter.

Are Brits pessimistic or realistic?

Perhaps we Brits are just naturally more pessimistic than our friends on the continent, but there have been several occasions when we have considered their pig price forecasts to be optimistic.

Or perhaps we are just more realistic. We recognise that when paid servants of the industry see future prices through rosy-coloured spectacles they are doing it to protect their own salaries by persuading their own country's producers to stay in business.

But even when the best and most realistic brains are on the job, forecasting is an imprecise science because the unexpected will inevitably happen, be it foot-and-mouth or "swine flu".

Thus Danish producers are currently breathing a sigh of relief that their pig price is at last improving in line with forecasts.

In recent years the forecasts they have been given by their industry servants have turned out to be optimistic and this has put a strain on their budgeting and an even bigger strain on their relationship with their uneasy bankers.

Nobody is pretending the financial crisis in the Danish pig industry is over, but there are signs that there may be a future in pigs despite an unhelpful government, a hostile public, and marketeers adept at selling the Danish product at, in many cases, below the European average price.

friday june 11, 2010

Market stays firm despite weaker euro

Some fairly positive signals were sent out in the marketplace by the further improvement in the value of the DAPP which now stands at 146.16p, although the Tulip base price remained at a 148p stand-on.

United Kingdom pig numbers are reported to be on the tight side and as a result everything was sold despite one of the major players cutting their kill by 1,000 head for next week.

Although the weather has remained on the chilly side, there is a better forecast for the weekend and early next week which might help to stimulate demand on the barbecue front and although recent falls in the value of the euro are causing some concern, pig trading finished on a generally firm note with very few cases of spot bacon being traded for less than 150p/kg.

Several retailers are reporting to be living on something of a hand to mouth basis which may mean that if demand picks up new orders will come rolling in leading to further price rises in the weeks ahead. Traffic Lights commentary continued.

How to reduce record-keeping

A one-pager from the Food Standards Agency should help farmers keep only the necessary records on animal feed. "So it should also save farmers a significant amount of time and money," says the Agency.

This is the document:
Record keeping requirements.

Under European feed hygiene legislation, farmers must keep a number of records, including information on animal feed bought-in or sold.

The Agency identified the cost and time spent by farmers in complying with these requirements as an area where savings could be made, while maintaining traceability.

The guidance has been trialled with farmers in England who, after seeing it, told the Agency they were much clearer about what records they need to keep.

Not filling in unnecessary forms could save each farmer over 35 hours each year. In England it has been estimated that with the new guidance, farmers need only spend an hour each month on keeping records on feeds.

Greener to feed meat-and-bonemeal than to burn it

If meat-and-bonemeal, or "processed animal protein" as it is now called, is reintroduced to pig and poultry diets, it will reduce the European Union's dependency on imported proteins, particularly GM soya, according to a draft text currently circulating in Brussels.

The strategy paper paves the way for a possible change to current Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy safety rules, which ban the feeding of meat-and-bonemeal.

The paper has been drawn up by the European Commission's health and consumer department and is expected to be adopted next month.

Brussels is less nervous about TSE following an updated risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority.

Basing its recommendations on evidence from the Authority, the report says the transmission of BSE from non-ruminants to non-ruminants is very unlikely and the current ban could be seen as a wasted opportunity.

It argues that it is more sustainable to use meat and bonemeal in feed than to use it to generate energy.

But there is no question of a relaxing of the ban on intra-species recycling ie. cannibalism.

So the question that still faces Brussels is how to guarantee pig meat-and-bonemeal does not accidentally find its way into pig diets.

Even when suitable safeguards are in place it is unclear how many retailers in Britain will accept pork from pigs fed on meat-and-bonemeal, notwithstanding its greener credentials.

Prices fall in the States

Pig prices have fallen for the first time in many weeks in the States. Wholesale pork has plunged 9.7 percent since touching a 21-month high in mid-May. The average cash price that slaughterhouses pay for immediate delivery of pigs has fallen 4 percent this month.

The strength of the dollar, up 18 percent this year versus the euro, may be curbing overseas demand for United States meat, according to Deutsche Bank.

"We believe the significant change in value between the euro and the US dollar has changed the competitive landscape and that Europe is taking export share from the United States."

Foot-and-mouth

1.5 percent and 0.7 percent of the Japanese pig and cattle herds have been slaughtered so far in the foot-and-mouth outbreak in Japan. Japan's new farms minister Masahiko Yamada has pledged to speed up efforts to deal with the disease. There are plans to slaughter an additional 122,000 animals.

Greenhouse gas target

European Union environment ministers will be in Luxembourg today to discuss climate change targets, water scarcity and GMs. They will consider an analysis by the European Commission on options to move beyond Europe's current 20 percent greenhouse gas reduction target.

Farm payment discrepancies

Around £26m is to be claimed back from Northern Ireland next month by the European Commission as a result of single farm payment discrepancies. A further £33m will be due by the end of the year. The Northern Ireland department of agriculture has lodged a request for concilation on both counts and Stormont politicians have appealed the fines before officials of the European Commission agriculture department.

Meat products regulation guidance

New guidance for meat products should make the process of correctly labelling any added ingredients easier, says the Food Srtandards Agency.

Under the Meat Products Regulations 2003, certain added ingredients must be mentioned in the name of any meat product that could otherwise be mistaken for plain meat, but has added ingredients such as water, starches or ingredients of animal origin.

New flow diagrams.

This particular regulation places a considerable burden on industry and was identified as an area where savings could be made, while maintaining clear and accurate information for consumers, says the agency.

The new guidance consists of easy-to-use flow diagrams, reducing the time it takes to decide how to label a product.

Stalls ban in Oz

Tasmania will ban pig stalls in 2014 — three years ahead of a national ban on stalls in Australia. The move has been welcomed by animal welfare groups, but has angered the state's pig farmers.

"I am very concerned that there has been no consultation with the local pig industry as to these earlier-than-expected changes," said opposition spokesman for primary industries Jeremy Rockliff.

The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association says the move will "destroy the Tasmanian pork industry's competitiveness".

Stalls will be illegal in Australia from 2017.

Castration workshop

European countries should work together to create a Brussels declaration on castration of piglets. This was the conclusion from a workshop on the subject, organised by the Brussels health and consumer department.

More than 100 participants discussed the results of research projects and studies, on current trends and consumers' attitudes and demands, as well as on alternatives to castration.

thursday june 10, 2010

Traffic Lights

Traffic Lights is up tuppence tonight. Wheat futures continue to fall, down around £3 over the past week.

St Anne takes the chair

Pig industry friend Malton MP Anne McIntosh has been elected new chairman of the environment select committee. She will take over from Michael Jack.

"Anne McIntosh's time in Europe, as a shadow Defra minister and as a rural MP, means that she has a good understanding of the agriculture brief and the challenges that lie ahead," said NFU president Peter Kendall today.

Will working with pigs boost their self-esteem?

Pig World's Oz columnist Neil Unger is asking for readers' help.

"I am looking at a scheme where mildly intellectually disabled kids can come to work at the piggery simply to boost their self esteem.

"Too often they have been abandoned and rejected as "retards". If anyone has done this already can you contact me please as I am at a loss to know just what the abilities or limitations are.

"I am not looking for cheap labour, just a way to help these kids to become useful in the community. The intention is there, the details are not.

"If you can help with any experience, good or bad, I desperately need that feed-back. They possibly have an affinity with animals that can be used."

Contact Neil at neil.unger@bigpond.com.

wednesday june 9, 2010

Golden era beckons

By Digby Scott

Pig production in England could enter a golden era as a result of the government’s determination to cut public spending.

Defra has been told by government to examine the effectiveness of every pound it spends. It may be ordered to cut its spending by as much as 25 percent.

Whilst the cutbacks will affect all areas of farming, they will be felt least by pig-keepers, who receive almost zero support from the public purse, and who have always relied on their own production and marketing skills to make a living.

But in recent years pig-keepers have been regulated to a forensic degree by Defra and its agencies, as well as by local authorities.

Defra can only make the cuts demanded of it by reviewing the level at which it enforces European regulation, and by adopting the sort of risk-based policies the pig sector has been urging for several years.

Pig-keepers can now help Defra identify areas where spending cuts can be made.

As most pig-keepers already pay to be independently inspected for regulatory compliance, there is scope for a significant reduction in the red-tape overload currently threatening the future viability of the industry.

Environment secretary Caroline Spelman will be appointing a minister with specific responsibility at Defra for cutting spending and getting better value for money.

The government wants all its departments, and local government, to come up with “fundamental changes” in the way they provide services.

It wants Defra to look at how it can promote fairness by more targeted interventions. The pig industry will argue that Red Tractor assurance could help achieve this.

Defra will be required to analyse all its spending, against the following questions:

• Is the activity essential to meet government priorities?
  
  
• Does the government need to fund this activity?
  
  
• Does the activity provide substantial economic value?
  
  
• Can the activity be targeted to those most in need?
  
  
• How can the activity be provided at lower cost?
  
  
• How can the activity be provided more effectively?
  
  
• Can the activity be provided by a non-state provider or by citizens, wholly or inpartnership?
  
  
• Can non-state providers be paid to carry out the activity according to the results they achieve?
  
  
• Can local bodies as opposed to central government provide the activity?

Defra has contributed 5.5 percent of its budget (£162m) to the government’s initial £6bn savings. The next comprehensive spending review, which will determine public spending for the next three years, will demand far greater cuts at the department.

The United Kingdom’s public sector net borrowing forecast is the largest in the nation’s peacetime history.

According to the International Monetary Fund, the United Kingdom has the highest budget deficit in the G7 and G20, and its latest forecasts project that public sector debt will double between 2007 and 2015, to around 90 percent of gross domestic product.

Government points out that public borrowing is only taxation deferred, and it would be irresponsible to accumulate substantial debts that would have to be paid off by subsequent generations in decades to come.

“Successfully reducing the largest deficit in Britain’s peacetime history will mean approaching the spending review in a completely different way from how it has been approached in the past,” says Chancellor George Osborne.

“It will mean thinking innovatively about the role of government in society, taking the difficult decisions collectively as a government to reduce the deficit, and consulting widely using all available talents to ensure that we deliver a stronger society as well as a smaller state.”

Government’s emergency budget will be on June 22.

EARLY CANDIDATES FOR THE CHOP

Two expensive projects — they would have cost farmers £millions — are now leading contenders for government's cost-cutting axe.

• The controversial new headquarters for Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board at Stoneleigh.
  
  
• The proposed new cost-and-responsibility-sharing animal health quango.

If, as seems probable, plans for the new Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board headquarters at Stoneleigh are scrapped, the board will have to seek less expensive alternative premises near Stoneleigh.

It's a sell-out, say angry Euro-MPs

Members from all political groups on the European Parliament’s agriculture committee have roundly condemned the European Commission’s decision to reopen trade talks with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, which could lead to more cheap beef and pork coming into Europe.

Brussels says liberalisation of trade between Europe and the South America countries will bring new opportunities for European industries.

But agriculture committee MEPs say it will undermine European Union support for farmers’ incomes, as well as current discussions on the future of the CAP.

“We cannot tie our farmers’ hands behind their backs with over-regulation, and then fill our supermarkets with cheap products from abroad,” said Northern Ireland Conservative MEP James Nicholson.

Irish Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness warned, “We are witnessing the sell-out of European agriculture”.

Danes worried about antibiotic resistance

Denmark is to introduce new measures to combat over-use of antibiotics in pigs and possible problems of resistance building up in animals and humans.

Use of antibiotics is increasing in Denmark, in people and livestock. There is a belief that problems with resistance, first seen in other countries, are now appearing in Denmark.

The new measures are aimed at maintaining the effectiveness of antibiotics when used to treat humans and livestock.

The plan includes:

• A yellow card system for pig farms with a high consumption of antibiotics.
• A national council for antibiotics.
• New research projects.
• Improved surveillance of resistance.
• A review of the reporting systems.
• Preparation of national guidelines for the use of antibiotics.
• Better counselling and and incentive structure in livestock.

Paice announces Farming Regulation Review

Bureaucratic burdens on the farming industry will be put under the microscope by a new task force announced by agriculture minister Jim Paice today.

The task force on Farming Regulation, to be chaired by Richard Macdonald, will identify ways to reduce the regulatory burden through a review of the relevant regulations and their implementation, as well as advise on how best to achieve a risk-based system of regulation in the future.

"There's too much red tape tying up our farmers and preventing them from getting on with the business of producing our food and managing our countryside," said Jim Paice.

"That's why we committed in the Coalition Agreement to reduce the regulatory burden on farmers by moving to a risk-based system of regulation. The burden on farming and food manufacturing businesses is not just the number of regulations but the emphasis on process rather than outcomes.

"I'm going to ask this industry-led task force to look at the way we make and implement regulations right across the board, both at what's already in place, and how we should do things in the future.

"I'm very pleased that Richard Macdonald has agreed to head this task force, as he brings with him a unique knowledge of the farming and food industry, outstanding leadership skills and a track record of commitment to partnership working between government and industry."

The task force will make its initial recommendations to Government by early next year. The full membership of the task force will be announced in the near future, along with its terms of reference and details of how the wider farming and food sector can engage with the work of the task force.

Richard Macdonald was appointed as the NFU's director general in July 1996 and held that post until December 2009.

New RB209 published

The new edition of RB209, the fertiliser manual, has been published. It can be downloaded here.

Tuesday June 8, 2010

How MRSA spreads through breeding stock

The bigger the sow herd, the greater the risk of MRSA contamination, according to a report by the European Food Safety Authority.

The odds of finding MRSA in a breeding herd of 400 sows or more is 2.74 times higher than of finding it on a unit with fewer than 100 breeding pigs.

These findings are a cause for concern because breeding stock is intensively traded within and between European Union member countries.

Breeding stock from MRSA-positive units is likely to spread MRSA to destination farms, says the report.

MRSA has not been found in the British pig herd but has been found in pig herds in more than two-thirds of countries in the European Union.

Spain and Germany have the highest incidence, with over 40 percent of pig holdings testing positive for MRSA. It has also been found in Holland and to a much lesser extent in Denmark.

MRSA is any strain of staphylococcus aureus bacteria that has developed resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics (which include penicillins and cephalosporins).

As part of a Europe-wide survey of salmonella on pig units, the European Food Safety Authority also checked for the presence of MRSA, in a bid to discover which kinds of pig unit are most likely to be MRSA-positive.

It analysed data on 1,600 units mainly selling breeding stock and 3,473 units mainly producing weaners or finishers.

It believes the greater risk of MRSA is higher on larger breeding units because such units are likely to have different management policies, including a higher turnover of pigs.

Holland exports the largest number of breeding stock in the European Union, being the major source of pig genetics for Germany, Spain and Italy.

Denmark exports the second highest number. Other big exporters are Germany, France and Belgium.

Producers share health information

YORKSHIRE AND HUMBERSIDE HEALTH UPDATE

A total of 375 pig producers have been surveyed to date by veterinary surgeons as part of the Yorkshire and Humberside Health programme.

Almost all have given their vets permission to record whether or not four important diseases are present on their units.

• Enzootic pneumonia was present on 141 of the units.
• PRRS was present on 136.
• Swine dysentery was recorded on 11.
• Mange was recorded on eight.

"The units surveyed so far represent more than 28,000 sows and more than 206,000 finishing places, covering a mixture of weaner producers, breed-to-finish and finishing units,” said BPEX health co-ordinator Helen Clarke. “So the data gives us a good indication of disease prevalence across the region.

"The enthusiasm, co-operation and willingness of producers to share health status information is very encouraging.

“Armed with this knowledge, producers who have joined up to Yorkshire and Humberside Health can make much more effective decisions on how to manage biosecurity and improve pig health for the long term - which ultimately leads to higher physical herd performance and a more profitable business."

According to the veterinary survey, the average number of pigs weaned per sow per year in the Yorkshire and Humberside region is 24.

Average pre-weaning and post-weaning mortality is running at 10.83 and 3.32 percent respectively.

More information is being gathered as new producers sign up to the project and take part in the survey. It is hoped producers will continue to encourage their vets to fill in the surveys after each quarterly visit to ensure the information available is accurate, up to date and therefore of most benefit to all.

Producers who would like biosecurity advice and help forming cluster groups with their neighbours should call Helen Clarke on 07973 701369 or email her at helen.clarke@bpex.org.uk.