15/04/08
New boar from JSR
A new boar from JSR is claimed to be the most feed-efficient pig in the world. The JSR Geneconverter 700 will be launched at this year’s British Pig and Poultry Fair. Compared to the national average, the Geneconverter 700’s 13.4 percent reduction in feed conversion ratio equates to a £5 feed saving per pig produced. Visitors to JSR's stand at British Pig and Poultry Fair will have a chance to win 25 free doses of Geneconverter semen a week for six months.
14/04/08
Matthew completes second marathon
Matthew Curtis, of ACMC, has completed the Flora London Marathon in an official time of 4 hours 15 seconds and has raised over £3,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Donations can still be made on line at http://www.justgiving.com/matthewcurtis.
12/04/08
Salmonella platinum awards to be launched at Pig Fair
The first Platinum Pig Awards for pig units with low levels of salmonella will be announced at British Pig and Poultry Fair. The new awards are designed to act as an incentive to all pig-keepers to cut salmonella in the national herd to ten percent, or less.
To win a platinum award a unit will have to be under ten percent for a year, as shown by positive and suspect reports from the new Zoonoses National Control Programme, which was introduced this month.
Since the Zoonoses Action Plan (ZAP) started in 2002 the aim has been to reduce the risk to consumers from salmonella in pigmeat products.
The target was to reduce the proportion of finisher pigs testing positive to the meat-juice salmonella test and thereby reduce the prevalence of salmonella in the national herd.
The scheme has failed. The level of meat-juice salmonella positive results has not fallen. So the Zoonoses National Control Programme has been introduced in its place.
Zoonoses National Control Programme Q&As
Why is the Zoonoses National Control Programme being introduced now?
The European Union will be setting targets for reduction of salmonella in pigs. ZAP was not working and was unlikely to be approved by the European Union as a national control programme. When national targets have been set the new Zoonoses National Control Programme scheme will have to be submitted to Europe for approval. The British pig industry is committed to reducing the risk to consumers from salmonella in pigmeat products bearing the Quality Standard Mark. Progress in reducing risk will be monitored by checking the prevalence of salmonella on carcases in abattoirs. Processors and producers working together will drive improvements.
How will abattoirs monitor salmonella in the supply chain?
Abattoirs are already taking measures to reduce the prevalence of salmonella on pig carcases and monitoring effectiveness through swabbing carcases. Abattoirs also have access to the salmonella prevalence of their producers through the Zoonoses National Control Programme database and electronic Food Chain Information forms.
How will the change affect my ZAP status?
From the start of this month ZAP 1,2,3 disappeared. All finishing units will be sent a new style report and the focus will be to reduce their rolling annual salmonella prevalence and to aim for an on-farm prevalence of below 10 percent.
If ZAP categories are disappearing will I still receive a report?
From May, Zoonoses National Control Programme reports will be sent every four months - January to April, May to August and September to December - showing the results for those four months and the rolling 12 months. The sampling will change to four samples from all sites supplying finisher pigs to British Quality Assured Pork abattoirs. Producers, vets and abattoirs will continue to have internet access to the latest results.
If ZAP categories are disappearing will I still need an action plan?
From this month ALL finishing pig units are required to have a Salmonella Control Plan and to regularly review their salmonella management. Farms have six months to develop and start implementation of their control plans. The control plan can incorporate salmonella controls into revised hygiene and management procedures and this should help control other diseases as well.
Where can I find an example of an acceptable control plan?
There is no definitive plan but a suggested checklist will be sent with all Zoonoses National Control Programme reports in May and will also be available from Zoonoses National Control Programme co-ordinator Veronica Wright.
Are there suggested publications with advice for on-farm actions against salmonella?
Yes, the Food Standards Agency has produced a booklet and DVD, “Serious about salmonella – back to basics”. And a series of Zoonoses National Control Programme information leaflets will be published through this year, and will be available from Veronica.
Will my farm assurance status be under threat if I don’t reduce my salmonella prevalence?
All sites should undertake a detailed review of their meat-juice Elisa results and their Salmonella Control Plan at least once a year. There will not be sanctions for failing to reduce salmonella but farm assured sites will have to demonstrate that they are taking action to control salmonella.
• If you have any queries regarding the Zoonoses National Control Programme, contact Veronica Wright, 01908 844331, veronica.wright@bpex.org.uk
Mass gassing of pigs fear
Up to 25,000 weaners a week could be taken to a central point, gassed, and sent to a rendering plant, claims Andrew Dickson, general manager of Manitoba Pork Council. The crisis is emerging because some United States finishers are breaking their contracts with Canadian weaner-producers. They are worried they will not be able to sell the pigs as "Produced in the United States" when new country-of-origin labelling legislation takes effect in the States in September.
Pig health with a practical slant
Pig producers of all sizes will benefit from veterinarian Bob Stevenson’s workshop ‘Practical Pig Health for Smaller Producers’ at British Pig and Poultry Fair, May 13 and 14. This workshop will reinforce the theme of maintaining the health of pigs, with a very practical slant.
Bob Stevenson is consultant veterinarian to the British Pig Association. During a long career working with farm animals, he has taken an increasing interest in pigs becoming president of the Pig Veterinary Society before being elevated to the position of head of the British Veterinary Association in 1996. His interest in the pig as a species has run parallel with a desire to impart information to both veterinary and agricultural students.
He has taught at various agricultural colleges and was an examiner for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ Pig Veterinary Certificate. More recently his interest has shifted from involvement with the larger pig producers to the keeper of usually smaller numbers of pure-bred pigs. He has recently completed a country-wide round of workshops for the keepers of pure-bred pigs, promoting the prevention of disease and the maximising of pig health.
British Pig and Poultry Fair New Product Award
Entry form can be downloaded here.
British Pig and Poultry Fair will host the "Great Feed Debate"
Seakers in the “Great Feed Debate” at British Pig and Poultry Fair, May 13-14 will include Sue Corning, chief executive of PIC, Andrew Carter, senior buying manager at Tesco and Finn Cottle, marketing director of Noble Foods. "We all need to co-operate in a very simple way - that is, have a common goal,” said Sue Corning.
“We know it is possible to make a difference to the end product when there is a common objective that the whole supply chain supports and is working towards. There are huge opportunities within breeding lines to select for meat quality characteristics, for example, without reducing production efficiencies, or raising costs."
On the poultry front, Finn Cottle said the underlying theme of the “Great feed Debate” is to add value to commodity products and to understand what consumers want. She believes a key message for poultry producers is that free range is a massive opportunity and producers could look at ways of expanding and diversifying.
Pig and Poultry Fair event manager Alice Bell said, “We are putting the spotlight on retailers and processors this year to drive home the message that the whole food supply chain has to work together to meet changing demands and add value to increase returns for everybody."
11/04/08
Tulip rolls pigs
The market has been unsettled by Tulip reducing its contract price by 0.8p and rolling pigs. Traffic Lights Commentary.
'Buy up more pork' plea from United States producers
United States pig producers have asked the Department of Agriculture to buy up more pigmeat, to help stabilise prices.
The Department is empowered by law to do this, to support non-farm programme commodities such as beef and pork. The food is used in federal nutrition programmes, for instance in school lunches and prisons.
"Additional Section 32 purchases would help the pork industry at this critical time," said Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, the largest farm organisation in the States.
His request comes at a time when prices for live market pigs have plunged to levels not seen in nearly a decade.
Reduced supply
Danish slaughterer Tican is planning job cuts in response to an expected 15 percent cut in its pig supply from next month.
New BPEX website will drill down into DAPP
From Monday producers will be able to get more information about the DAPP. Monday is when the new 
website goes live. In addition to a tickertape display showing DAPP, it will give — for the first time — the top and bottom 20 percent of prices.
Minister asks supermarkets for help
Scotland rural affairs minister Richard Lochhead has persuaded the British Retail Consortium to ask its members if they can join with caterers, processors and wholesalers to look at further discussion on the long-term sustainable future of the pig sector. Richard Lochhead has also written directly to retailers to ask what they are doing to help support the future of the Scottish pig sector.
Vehicle Excise Duty
NFU has clarified the proposed Vehicle Excise Duty regarding large vehicles and 4x4s, and how much the proposed hike in costs will be.
Vehicles registered before March 2001 will largely be unaffected, increasing only by £15 in 2009, and by indexation from 2010. With effect from April 2009, vehicles registered after March 2001 will be reformed into new Vehicle Excise Duty bands.
In 2009/2010 the Vehicle Excise Duty on vehicles – registered between March 2001 and March 2006 – with CO2 emissions over 255g/km will increase from £210 to £440, and up to £455 in 2010. Those vehicles registered after March 2006 are already paying £300 Vehicle Excise Duty.
Given that the average Landrover Defender has C02 emissions of 280g/km, a large proportion of work vehicles will fall into this new banding, and as the proposals stand, if registered between March 2001 and March 2006, will be subject to a large hike in duty.
Also due to be introduced from April 2010 is the ‘showroom’ tax, which means a first year Vehicle Excise Duty rate of £950 for all high emission vehicles.
The NFU is concerned that measures largely aimed at 'Chelsea tractors' are retrospectively going to be applied. It is currently investigating the proposed system, and whether there are any practical alternatives that could improve the situation for works vehicles.
Discount on pesticide publications
NFU members can approach British Crop Production Council directly for a 20 percent discount on publications. So for example the UK Pesticide Guide - all the info on pesticides in one book, as carried everywhere by agronomists - would be about £8 less than list price.
BOOM-TIME ON BRITISH PIG UNITS?
Increasingly producers are reporting dramatically improved productivity (often with the rider "Just at the time when we didn't want it!"). Is this improvement common across the national herd, and if so what are the key drivers? I would like to take a snapshot of the picture across the country. Therefore I would be most grateful if producers, managers, vets etc will complete the very brief questionnaire above. I won't publish your name (or at least not unless I specifically ask your permission first). — DS
UPDATE I am grateful to those who have taken the time to fill in the form so far, particularly as it may take some time to do. The results so far have been painfully honest and show that although there may be a trend upwards, improved productivity is by no means apparent across the whole of the national herd. Pork Chain Solutions has offered to look at the data collected through the Pig Focus recording system and to add to the results by letting me have some merged figures (so that no individuals are identified). Favourite reason given so far by a contributor to the snapshot: "Hard work and the boss keeping out of the way."Favourite occupation given so far: "President of football club". (Who could that be, then?)
10/04/08
Grants up to £10,000
If you farm in one of the water catchment areas shown on the map above, you could pull down up to £10,000 in grant aid towards a wide range of capital equipment and works.
Eligible items include roofs for slurry and silage stores, concrete yard renewal, rainwater storage tanks, relocation of gates, yard works for clean/dirty water separation, watercourse fencing, fencing for buffer strips, pumps, livestock troughs, farm-track cross-drains, piped culverts in ditches, resurfacing of gateways, surfacing machinery and livestock tracks, roofing of manure storage. Full details here.
Applications must be received by Natural England by June 30. You may submit only one application per holding for a grant, up to £10,000. Two or more holdings managed as a single unit are classed as one holding.
The grant money is available through a £5m catchment sensitive farming scheme introduced at the beginning of this month.
The grant aid comes with the usual paperwork and conditions associated with the spending of public money.
Some of the caveats are: only new (not replacement or maintenance) items are eligible; you must not be what is termed a "business in difficulty"; the work in question must not be already under way.
Action points
• Contact Zoe Davies at NPA for further information.
• In any event, don't take any action, until you have talked to your local catchment sensitive farming officer. Contact details are here (page 18).
Pig industry to brief Bishop
Pig producers John Godfrey, James Walgate, Richard Longthorp, Chris Brant, and Ian/Stephen/Bert Hoyland, will meet the Bishop of Lincoln, the Right Revd Dr John Saxbee, for a working breakfast on Thursday, May 7, to brief him on the crisis in the pig industry. Also present from the pig industry will be Reg Joseph and Digby Scott, together with Sir Ben Gill, who as well as being a former NFU president is also a former pig producer and a life-long champion of the sector. Representing the NFU will be regional director Richard Hezlet and county chairman Jonathan Brant. The meeting has been initiated and organised by Rev Canon Alan Robson, Lincolnshire agricultural chaplain.
Nadis sponsors
These are the sponsors of Nadis — the National Animal Disease Information Service.
Agskills News
Download the latest issue of Agskills News here.
Record entry for British Pig and Poultry Fair Service Award
In association with:
• Pig World
• Royal Agricultural Society of England
• NPA Producer Group
• Sponsor: Richard Longthorp
There have been over 20 nominations for the above award, which will be judged on April 30 at Uncle Henry's in Lincolnshire. Entries will close soon, so if you wish to make a nomination, please go here and do it on-line now.
The judges will be: Stewart Houston, NPA chairman; Richard Longthorp (Award sponsor); Richard Lister, NPA Producer Group chairman; Barney Kay, NPA general manager.
Footnote: I wish we could publish here the names of all the people who have been nominated (but we don't do that). There are people on the list who have served the industry well over the years and probably think — wrongly — that their efforts have never been noticed. — D.S.
LIPS Recipe of the Month for April is here
Assured British Pigs Newsletter
To save cost, the Assured British Pigs spring 2008 newsletter is not being mailed to members, but it is available to download here.
New Product Award
Pig Fair New Product Award entry forms are here.
Pig Discussion Groups
It is useful for the industry to have a topical list of pig discussion group contacts. Please help by making sure your group is represented on the database that will appear on this site well before the next round of meetings. Complete the form HERE (or ask the appropriate person to complete it). Email addresses will be secured in the database so they cannot be robotically harvested for spam.
l NPA Trade Directory l Mechanical data l National Pig Association l Defra l BBC weather l
l Environment Agency l Food Standards Agency l Quality Meat Scotland l Scottish Executive l
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