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May 9
Guess-the-price — we have our winner
By Digby Scott
There were 35 correct answers in the BPEX / Pig World competition to guess the Traffic Lights base by Pig Fair.
Visitors to this page picked the winner today, by ticking anonymous boxes at random until a winner emerged late this afternoon, after several hundred votes had been logged.
The winner is Muriel Naughton, one of the industry's Stand by Your Ham songbirds. Congratulations on correctly guessing 127p Muriel.
And thanks to everyone who entered the competition — I've never known a competition capture the mood of the moment as much as this one.
I keep saying that we had a thousand entries. The truth is I don't know whether we did or not because there were too many for an innumerate like me to count — the database of entries just kept growing.
I'm grateful to everyone who helped today with the pulling of a winner from our virtual 'hat'.
Although the competition has been a bit of fun to help lighten one of the darkest hours in the industry's history, it had a serious intent... to demonstrate the need for continued price rises going forward, if the industry is to survive.
There's a long way still to go.
Muriel is pictured above, on the right.
Incinerator developments at Pig Fair
Waste Spectrum Environmental sister company Energy Spectrum Environmental will launch two new products for the United Kingdom incinerator market, at Pig Fair - the Spectrum Recuperative Fuel Conserver and the Spectrum Energy Recovery Unit.
The Spectrum Recuperative Fuel Conserver, re-uses hot exhaust fumes, to cut fuel input by 10pc - typically saving 2,000l a year, worth about £1,000 at current prices, says the company. It can be fitted retrospectively to all Spectrum Incinerators and most non-Spectrum incinerators, and can be purchased built-in to any new incinerator.
The Spectrum Energy Recovery Unit is attachable to all Spectrum incinerators and can be fitted retrospectively to most non-spectrum incinerators. It uses Energy Spectrum Heat Pipe technology to transfer the wasted heat of incinerator exhaust fumes to create clean energy that is used for water heating, heating large quantities up to 95.63oC.
Energy Spectrum will be on stand 136, alongside Waste Spectrum Environmental, at Pig Fair.
Sam in Spain
Pig World's Sam Walton has been on his travels again.
The Iberian pig is reputed to produce the world's best ham. The breed was established 140 years ago when Spain imported from England some Tamworth, Large Black and Saddleback pigs, and possibly Gloucester Old Spot and the Oxfordshire Sandy and Black, to mix with the local Spanish pig. The breed has not changed in the last 50 years.
The pigs above live on acorns and whatever else they pick up in the forests, until they are 160 kilos liveweight, when they make about £360 a pig. The retail ham makes about £160 a kilo.
Scientist opposes reintroduction of meat-and-bonemeal
Dr Harash Narang, the man who discovered the link between BSE and its human form CJD, is concerned about the European Commission’s plans to allow pig meat-and-bonemeal to be used in poultry feed, and vice versa.
Dr Narang, a microbiologist, fears a repeat of the BSE crisis. He told the Newcastle Journal: “There are three reasons why this is a bad idea. Number one, it will make chickens much unhealthier as they will be eating meat rather than corn or other crops. This could add to the obesity crisis.
“Secondly fat, which would be part of the feed, stores carcinogens which can contribute to cancer. And finally it is difficult to predict what bugs could be passed on through the food chain to humans. “We could have a similar situation as with BSE, when a disease is passed on to humans through eating contaminated meat.”
Dr Narang has launched a petition to stop the measure.
Where will YOU hang a pig industry banner?
During the pig price crisis, BPEX is spending well over £1m on getting the industry's message to consumers, retailers, processors and politicians.
Producers and hauliers have it in their power to double the effectiveness of the campaign by making use of prime advertising sites across the country — road-side fields, for instance, and the backs and sides of feed lorries.
This point was made by producer Richard Longthorp in a campaign conference call this morning and was immediately pounced on by the rest of the campaigns team, as something to be progressed as quickly as possible.
There are several key messages the industry needs to get across to consumers.
The sector's silver bullet, according to BPEX's Simon Brookes, is that pork is outstandingly good value, even after recent price increases, compared to beef, lamb and even chicken. In these times of credit being squeezed, it is the obvious choice for consumers.
Materials and messages will now be researched by the professionals, and the necessary banners and display boards will be produced.
"Whilst this process is going on it would be useful if everyone in the industry could be thinking about where they will be able to display the promotional material to best effect," said Richard Longthorp.
Some councils are stricter than others in issuing seven-day notices on banners and signs in fields — but seven days is a reasonable time to get a message across, and signs can always be moved to a new location afterwards.
Pig industry finds new army of helpers
The British pig industry has found an army of volunteers to help it get its message across.
The eighteen thousand consumers who have so far signed the industry petition at www.pigsareworthit.co.uk were emailed and ask to help with a texting campaign.
Some 500 responded by downloading a list of radio station texting numbers. In marketing terms this level of uptake is quite exceptional.
It has given the industry's marketeers the clue that these consumers are a valuable resource who really do want to help pig farmers get a higher price.
Out of season
Gordon Ramsay has given an interview to the BBC in which he says British restaurants should be banned from serving out-of-season produce and fined if they ignore the ban. He says this would cut carbon emissions, reduce food miles and improve standards of cooking.
How pork promotions can hurt producers
The question of whether special promotions on pork and pork products are damaging to pig producers is causing some debate at the moment.
This week Sir Ben Gill said, “In their fight for market share, processors have been too keen to volunteer promotional funds to the retailers because it has been too easy in the past to take the money from producers’ pockets."
Another example of how promotions can be counter-productive for producers is Tesco's leg promotion in April, which used imported product.
This exercise was unhelpful to the British pig industry because the reduction in demand by Tesco for British legs meant a lot of legs looking for new homes at short notice. This in turned provoked comments for processors that legs were in “over-supply”.
Export demand for shoulders
Demand for loins and legs generally controls the price of British pigs because these products are under supplied by around 14m and 10m pigs a year respectively.
But the situation may be about to change. There is a good export market for shoulders at present and this may mean increases in domestic prices for sausages and the like, as the raw material cost increases.
This in turn could lead to the unusual situation (for British pigs) of a product that is in over-supply on the domestic market (shoulder meat) dictating higher pig prices, because of a strong export market price.
We're only the regulator
A petition on the No. 10 website called on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to provide financial compensation to all farmers who suffered financial loss as a result of government restrictions on movement following the breach of biosecurity at Pirbright last August.
Government has now responded. It says "The Government's role in relation to the Pirbright site is that of regulator. The outbreak was caused by a lapse in biosecurity on the Pirbright site, and was not caused by the Government's role as a regulator."
http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page15377.asp
May 8
Guess-the-Price-by-Pig-Fair
Tonight's texted Traffic Lights base is 127p — a 5p jump from last week. There are over a dozen 127p contenders for the Guess-the-Price £300 prize. We will — with your help — draw a winner from a virtual hat, on this page, tomorrow morning.
Sam Walton, Andrew Knowles and Digby Scott made their guesses on Easter Monday. Walton estimated 137p and Scott said 126p. Knowles messed the whole thing up by misreading his brief and guessing what DAPP would be instead of spot. His 121p DAPP turns out to be 1.53p adrift, whilst Scott's 126p spot is a 1p out, and Sam's 137p was optimistic to the tune of 10p. — D.S.
Outdoor pork nomenclature
BPEX and RSPCA are talking about agreed descriptions for different pork production standards — free-range, outdoor-reared etc. A Code of Good Practice may emerge as a result. There has been some controversy recently over use of the term "outdoor pork".
New Spalding abattoir will open soon
The old Hargraves abattoir at Spalding, Lincolnshire, is currently undergoing a major overhaul by Morrisons and should be open and running by June-July. It will take 6,000 pigs a week.
Calling all potential Young NPA members
By Zoe Davies
If your work is connected to the pig industry and you are still considered a youngster in the business, we would like to encourage you to join the Young NPA.
We already have a well established group of over 50 valued members from all parts of the chain including producers, vets, allied industries and processors and are keen that all young people in the industry take advantage of the opportunity to join.
Once you have signed up you will be invited to any visits or meetings that are organised, benefit from reduced rates to attend important industry events and conferences and have the opportunity to network with a much wider variety of people throughout the business and from across the country.
Previous activities have included a visit to Dalehead Foods, Agromek 2007 and the European Pig Producers conference 2007.
We hope that being part of the Young NPA will have a positive impact on both you and the business that you represent. Membership is free and it’s easy to join – just send your contact details to me by email, fax or post.
Or call me at the NPA office if you would like to chat about it first. If you are already a member and haven’t heard from us for a while, or have changed your details, please let me know.
National slurry spreading week
The slurry spreading closed periods proposed by Defra in its NVZ consultation could create a “national slurry spreading week”, fears producer Charlie Allen.
This would result in the same type of pollution caused by slurry spreading in Holland which resulted in a nasty smell across the south-east England recently, he told NPA Producer Group yesterday.
Defra's response to its NVZ consultation will be published before the House of Commons summer recess in July.
European Pig Producers
Some 142 people have so far signed up for the European Pig Producers conference in Norwich, June 5-8. Sponsorship is in place. Finances are looking healthy. Conference title is “How to live with the world’s most sophisticated retailers".
Health conference
English pig producers are now feeding back results from the current BPEX PCV2 vaccination campaign. BPEX plans to disseminate the information it is acquiring at an autumn conference, possibly held in conjunction with NPA.
Stand by Your Ham at Pig Fair
If you were one of the talented artistes who recorded Stand by Your Ham, are you available at noon on day one of British Pig and Poultry Fair, for a lusty live performance, without backing track, on the NPA stand? If so, please email Digby or Barney. We will, of course, be conducted by Hugh Crabtree.
Anaerobic Digestion and Alternative Waste Technologies
A conference on Anaerobic Digestion and Alternative Waste Technologies will be held on May 22 at The Barbican Centre, London. It will focus on the latest developments in treating waste through new technologies. For more information and to book a place go to: http://www.alternative-waste.co.uk/homepage.asp.
New Product Award
Pig Fair New Product Award entry form is here.
'Pork shortage will be on a bigger scale
than we have ever seen before'
The landscape of the European pig industry crisis changed dramatically last week when Denmark announced a big slide in pig numbers between April 2007 and April 2008, most of which has taken place in the last four months.
With Canada half way through its programme to cull ten percent of sows, and United States producers facing irresistible pressure to reduce production, a global pigmeat shortage is in prospect and early claims in Britain that the pig price here would reach £2 a kilo are looking realistic.
The Danish figures, which show a drop of over 10pc in the national herd, have taken everyone by surprise.
Reports by industry leaders in other European countries that their national herds will not be dropping significantly this year will now be viewed with scepticism.
Following publication of the Danish census results, BPEX and NPA chairman Stewart Houston has written to the Big Four retailers warning of an availability problem across Europe that will be "on a bigger scale than we have ever seen before".
All the retailers responded to his letter almost immediately which suggests they accept his point that the supply situation is going to become serious, and there will not be enough pigs in Europe, or further afield, to make up for a drop in production in Britain. A series of meetings with retailers will now take place.
| Danish pig census | |||
| (000 head) | April 2007 | April 2008 | % change |
| In-pig sows | 672 | 586 | -12.8 |
| In-pig gilts | 218 | 212 | -2.8 |
| Piglets on sow | 2,702 | 2,424 | -10.3 |
| Maiden gilts | 254 | 242 | -4.7 |
| Pigs under 50kg | 5,849 | 5,028 | -14 |
| Pigs over 50kg | 3,584 | 3,415 | -4.7 |
| Total pigs | 13,599 | 12,186 | -10.4 |
Agency over-estimated ammonia emissions
The Environment Agency got its sums wrong over ammonia emissions.
This is a significant development for those pig and poultry units that have been told they are producing too much ammonia because they are near sensitive habitats.
The Agency says it over-estimated total ammonia released from farms. It is writing to all IPPC permit holders who have an ammonia improvement condition to explain the error.
“Because of the error, the percent reduction in ammonia required in the improvement conditions will be less than currently stated,” says the Agency.
About 10pc of IPPC pig and poultry units have been told to reduce ammonia emissions.
Nine farms are said to have a “very significant” impact on nearby wildlife sites. These have three options - to withdraw their IPPC application, accept very stringent improvement conditions to reduce emissions, or accept a refusal of their IPPC application.
“We are trying hard to agree an option to enable the business to continue. In the case of any withdrawn or refused applications, we would agree to a process of downsizing to below IPPC threshold size, or closure with each individual site,” says the Agency.
Who do we nominate for a Darwin Award?
THE RESULTS
There were 119 votes in the Darwin Award poll on this page, with "Myself" and "Tulip" level-pegging most of the way.
The "winner" is Tulip, with 31 votes. A Darwin Award nomination will be prepared this week.
Examples of Darwin Award winners last year...
• When attempting to steal a large water tank, three thieves started by cutting away the legs from under the tank. It took some time to identify their flattened bodies.
• A throat ailment prevented a man from imbibing alcohol, so he elected to receive two bottles of sherry via enema. The alcohol in his rectal cavity continued to be absorbed even after he had passed out and the next morning he was dead.
European Pig Producers Congress 2008
How to live with the world’s most sophisticated retailers
European Pig Producers Congress 2008 is at Norwich on June 5-8. The theme: "How to live with the world's most sophisticated retailers".
This will be a once-in-a-lifetime event. In addition to some excellent papers there will be a full social diary for delegates. All pig industry people are urged to attend, to forge links with our opposite numbers in Germany, Holland, Denmark, France etc.
Both members and non-members may attend, but it costs more for non-members.
Securing hotel rooms is organiser Ian Campbell's big issue at present, so if you are proposing to attend please ring him immediately. For prices and registration details go here. For further details about the timetable, go here.
Key papers will be as follows:
• Structure of pig production in Great Britain by Mick Sloyan
• Structure of supply chain by Richard Lowe
• The retailer - Tesco explains what drives its business and what it looks for from its supply chain.
• The processor - meeting retailer expectations as a strong supplier or as a partner in the chain by Tulip International and Tonnies.
• The producer - an equal partner in the supply chain?
The event is based at the Hotel Ramada in Norwich.
Trainee-of-the-Year
Candidates who enter this year's Pfizer Trainee of the Year Award will be eligible for an extra PIPR point. More about the award, including an entry form, here.
Capital grants for composting and anaerobic digestion
New grant funding is available to help those wanting to develop composting, aerobic or anaerobic digestion plants to treat organic food waste. The Waste and Resources Action Programme’s Organics Capital Grant Programme VI can fund up to 30 percent of capital set-up costs, including land purchase, installing new infrastructure and buying individual pieces of equipment. Waste and Resources Action Programme website.
British Pig and Poultry Fair New Product Award
Entry form can be downloaded here.
Grants up to £10,000
If you farm in a priority water catchment area, 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. Contact details for your local catchment sensitive farming officer are here (page 18).
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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