Pig Guide 2024

PIG GUIDE 2024

The essential reference guide to organisations and companies serving the UK pig industry www.pig-guide.com

PIG GUIDE 2024

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PIG GUIDE 2024

Contents

Pig Guide Directory

6

AGE-RELATED ANALYTICS AND CONTEMPORARY CALCULATIONS

9

HERD-WITHIN-HERD ANALYSIS: FINITE CALCULATIONS TO RESTORE FUNCTION AND BALANCE

31 Buildings 31 Cleaning 32 Computer software 32 Energy 32 Equipment 36 Feeding 38 Feeding systems 38 Health 42 Housing 42 Hygiene 44 Identification 44 Laboratories 44 Marketing 44 Organisations 45 Professional Services 45 Recruitment 45 Slurry 46 Water & Irrigation

13 INTERVIEW: DR STEPHEN MANSBRIDGE OF HARPER ADAMS UNIVERSITY 16 PEDIGREE BREEDERS FIND SUCCESS WITH PORK 18 THE AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE DEVELOPMENT BOARD 21 RED TRACTOR 22 RSPCA 23 HUMANE SLAUGHTER ASSOCIATION 24 BRITISH PIG ASSOCIATION 26 NATIONAL PIG ASSOCIATION 28 WHERE THERE IS HELP....

29 PIG GUIDE DIRECTORY See right

PIG GUIDE 2024 5

PERFORMANCE

Age-related analytics and contemporary calculations Lifecycle metrics that unlock performance potential, elevate efficiency and lower carbon footprints. Jane Jordan reports

I

n 2022, Pig Guide reported on lifecycle assessments and how measuring breeding herd performance in relation to sows’ reproductive lifetimes, provides more relevant benchmarks when evaluating the efficiency and sustainability of a pig production process. These more advanced business metrics (ABMs) analyse actual production outcomes for specific parities or cohort groups and can therefore identify under achievement in ways that cumulative, linear reporting, such as those used by conventional herd recording systems, cannot. These ABMs pinpoint where potential is being optimised and where it’s being lost – robust evidence that can help producers identify how they might improve husbandry to access more of the production capability of their herds and from the resources they have available.

Navigating inflationary costs and reducing the environmental impact of pigmeat production means pig businesses must drive efficiency at every stage. Achieving more from less is a fundamental objective for all livestock production systems and

6 PIG GUIDE 2024

they will need to look beyond what their overall performance statistics are telling them if they want to improve economic, ethical and environmental (3E) outcomes.

Delving deeper into performance data, to establish the real dynamics of the production process and how a herd functions, will reveal a very different story than that reported by conventional, cumulative analytics. Whether pig production units are independent or part of a more integrated, corporate pork supply chain, the focus must now centre on identifying where wasted potential exists, how it can be minimised and how the production capability of the genotypes used can be consistently attained.

The UK pig industry generates an abundance of valuable data, but it is not analysed or interpreted as well as it could be. The methods used by most herd recording systems to report performance do not compute how wasted potential affects output or identify the hidden inefficiencies that exist in seemingly productive herds.

“The pig industry must reconsider how it analyses production data and explore where advanced metrics can help it harness more of the production potential that’s already available.

Using metrics that can evaluate sow’s individual production cycles within their herd lifecycle performance on a per parity basis unlocks a new dimension of statistical exploration, and offers pointers that can determine the true functionality of a pig production process,” says Stephen Hall independent data analyst and pig business consultant.

With 50-plus years’ experience studying herd performance data he is well placed to critique the metrics used by pig recording programmes. He says most conventional KPIs, such as pigs weaned per sow per year, farrowing rate, born alive per litter, percentage pre-weaning mortality, farrowing interval, are becoming irrelevant to greater understanding.

“By measuring sow productivity across a one to five parity lifetime, a pig business can assess reproductive efficiency in relation to age specific >> cohorts and identify very specifically where lost

Table 1. Breeding herd performance analysis (PigVision) Parity Services of total (%) Farrowing interval Gilt age at first service Farrowing rate (CA) Liveborn/litter Total Born incl. mumm.

Age at first farrowing Weanings of total (%) Weaning weight/litter Weaned pigs/litter Pre-weaning mortality Litters/sow/year Pigs weaned/sow/year

Pushing to increase litter numbers may not improve production efficiency or promote sustainable, profitable outcomes.

Left: Measuring sow feed consumption across 5 breeding cycles is a valuable benchmark.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Total

24.0 18.9 16.0 12.6 10.8 8.5 6.8 2.3 100 164.9 159.4 158.8 159.3 162.5 162.4 169.5 169.2 162.1 251 251 87.04 87.33 85.09 89.35 91.54 101.91 87.55 83.87 88.79 12.17 13.40 13.97 14.39 14.30 14.12 14.02 13.60 13.54 12.99 14.09 14.92 15.45 15.30 15.20 15.23 14.83 14.47 363 362.59 23.2 18.8 14.9 13.1 11.4 9.7 6.7 2.2 100 90.72 94.93 94.25 93.41 92.01 90.39 87.40 82.61 92.1 12.05 12.57 12.54 12.42 12.16 11.99 11.55 10.97 12.22 -0.15 5.93 10.04 13.12 14.83 14.89 17.50 19.23 9.39 2.21 2.29 2.29 2.30 2.25 2.24 2.16 2.17 2.25 26.63 28.84 28.71 28.57 27.41 26.83 24.95 23.75 27.51

Table 2. Distribution of herd output (weaned pigs) in relation to parity (GiltWatch Herdscope) Parity

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

% Share of Total Output 80.9 18.1 Gilt Watch Target % Share of Total Output Sow Distribution 100 No. of Sows per 100

24

19

16

12

11

Gilt Watch Target No. of Sows per 100

25

23

20

18

15

9

7

2

PIG GUIDE 2024 7

PERFORMANCE >> potential is occurring. These lifecycle analytics provide a more accurate evaluation of how sows’ function from the moment they enter a herd to the time they leave,” he explains.

Tables one and two lists performance statistics from the same herd. Table one shows results from a PigVision herd analysis with good results achieved across all parities. However, what is not reported is how a fifth of total output is being derived from parity six and above sows. Table two details the percentage share of output in relation to sow distribution across all parities. It reveals how older females are being kept to maintain herd numbers and how this herd is not retaining gilts as well as it could be to parity five – evidence that raises key questions, such as: • Why are older females, which cost more to feed, exhibit higher pre-weaning mortality rates and carry a greater risk of reproductive failure, occupying sow places that younger, more genetically valuable, reproductively efficient animals should be inhabiting.

• Why are so many young females leaving the herd?

Could better nutrition, health care or improved condition scores during lactation and weaning increase gilt retention?

• Is the replacement policy/ gilt management routine fulfilling objectives?

Parity pointers

Total herd performance is a consequence of what’s being achieved by each age-specific cohort, so being able to pinpoint exactly where most of a herd’s output is coming from is extremely valuable. When parity-based analytics are used, as seen in Table two, a clear picture emerges of the contribution each parity makes to overall herd productivity, which

Lifecycle econometrics produce surprising findings.

creates more questions than answers. Stephen says producers that are exploring these more advanced analytics via GiltWatchTogether, an innovative data analysis concept he has developed that uses lifecycle econometrics to evaluate breeding herd efficiency, are surprised at the findings. Even highperforming herds, ranked in the UK’s top 10%, have found considerable wasted potential hidden among their exemplary results.

“Using ABMs offers infinite ways to evaluate herd performance statistics and identify areas of underachievement. Traditional metrics like pigs weaned per sow per year and tonne of feed/kg gain, can’t do this. These more advanced analytics demonstrate how production outcomes for individual parity groups are significantly different, where output is more prolific and how these elements influence a herd’s overall productivity,” he explains.

The herd-within-herd analysis that GiltWatch uses to define production outcomes, dismantles whole herd data and instead analyses the output/ performance of specific cohorts. It provides comprehensive scrutiny of breeding herd performance and delivers a more detailed, ‘real time’ examination of sow performance in relation to a specific parity or collective age-range group, says Stephen Hall.

Conventional herd recording systems only tend to monitor average /top 10% performance and don’t measure productivity in relation to sow age. The advanced calculations used by GiltWatch focus on output per lifetime and include metrics such as, average total pigs weaned per tonne of sow feed at parity five, a corresponding total weight weaned indexed against the weaning age and gilt retention

rate to parity five, which are all critical performance indicators of a herd’s input/output balance. When analysed against each lifecycle cohort, they can demonstrate the true extent of reproductive failure, along with other wasted potential and where it manifests.

Unretained, underachievement

“An example of how ABMs can identify hidden inefficiency is with gilt retention. Breeding herds rarely consider this metric and conventional recording systems don’t measure it, yet GiltWatch analytics have found it to be a fundamental issue for industry at large. Pig producers could save £1000s, if they monitored sow retention and prioritised gilt development, as their input costs would be lower against output revenues,” says Stephen.

Defra census figures (1992 to 2022) show that the UK breeding herd now requires at least 25% more gilts to sustain current production capacity of around 200,000 sows than it did in 2012, when the national herd was approximately 400,000 sows.

This means the number of gilts that have achieved their objective – to remain a functional, productive part of the breeding herd until they’re culled at parity five – has decreased dramatically during the past ten years. Many breeding herds are now running excessive replacement rates just to maintain herd numbers, which is expensive and represents a colossal waste of genetic potential as most new entrants don’t reach parity five.

“A gilt must successfully wean three good litters before she starts to accrue any return on the investment made in her, so the fallout of inadequate sow retention is felt across the entire pig business.

Gilt retention is a defining KPI and the industry needs to acknowledge this. The fact that UK sow retention rates to parity five are generally just below 50% emphasises how ineffectual conventional metrics are. Continually pumping more gilts into the system, only to see them fail, is economically and ethically unsustainable. And when you consider the advances made to sow nutrition, pig health, damline rearing/selection, service/AI and breeding herd management during the past decade, we must ask why this significant inefficiency has not been exposed and remains unchallenged,” he adds.

GiltWatchTogether recommends a sow retention rate towards 85% at parity 5, which is ambitious, but evidence suggests anything lower compromises a herd’s input-output balance.

Herd-within-herd analysis: Finite calculations to restore function and balance

T

o understand what makes a breeding herd successful – and efficient – owners and managers must consider the role that specific numbers have within their statistical evaluations and the relationships between them. Breeding herd size is the principal figure as it influences every facet of performance and is the foundation of the production process. Yet the functionality of herd size is rarely questioned.

Herd size tends to stay the same because it fits the infrastructure of the farm or there is firm belief the business must maintain a certain number of females to achieve optimal productivity. But must every sow place be filled to maintain herd productivity (numbers born and weaned) or could herd size be reduced if the business learned to harness more of the production potential on offer?

These are pertinent questions as the pig industry strives to produce more from less and grapple with higher feed/energy costs and an ongoing skills/ labour shortage.

“When herd-within-herd analytics are applied to recorded performance data producers soon see how maximising output from every parity and minimising the risk of wasted potential delivers more sustainable outcomes. By analysing each parity’s output, a pig business can soon determine the true productivity levels it is achieving and return on the capital employed,” says Stephen Hall.

Applying these more advanced metrics to herd data identifies production failure at source and attributes it to specific cohorts within the linear production lifecycle of the herd. In essence it is exploring the critical relationship between business input and output, and demonstrating how whatever >> governs the input-output balance, shapes pig

PIG GUIDE 2024 9

PERFORMANCE >> business performance and ultimately its profit potential.

“GiltWatch is positioned to instil a mindset of frontier husbandry. It’s aimed to help pig producers access more of the genetic potential they already have on their farms. Once they grasp how failing to meet production expectations across every parity affects output, economic performance and environmental footprints, they soon recognise how a continual push to increase numbers born per litter will not authentically improve production efficiency or promote sustainable, profitable outcomes,” Stephen explains.

Using advanced metrics to assess KPIs in relation to sow lifecycle productivity allows more accurate monitoring of herd output with potential to predict herd performance outcomes for a user-defined period. GiltWatch calculations are made on a ‘per 100 sows’, basis, as this aligns with percentage measurements and is a simple comparative figure to apply across breeding populations.

Multiplying herd size by its expected average output (i.e. finished pigs sold per sow for breeder/ feeders, or numbers weaned per sow for a weaner producers), then multiplying this figure by the number of litters produced/sow/year, will calculate what current herd output should be.

For example: 100 sows x 11 pigs weaned/sold/ sow x 2.35 litters/year = 2,585 pigs sold per annum.

So an 800-sow herd would expect to sell 20,680 pigs a year.

This figure can then be compared with the actual output being achieved by the herd for the past 12 months. The difference should stimulate further exploration of herd data to establish why productivity is not meeting expectations.

Verification, exploration, positive response Stephen says the first step should aim to verify what proportion of the herd (%) resides in each parity. Once this figure is established, the business has a handle on primary process control and can then start to explore the significance of sow age in relation to production potential. Using herd-withinthe-herd analysis enables more finite evaluation of performance efficiencies and the metrics used in GiltWatch can be applied to all herd recording systems used on UK farms.

For example, a breeding herd could be split into three separate mini herds: • Herd A comprising parities 1 and 2,

10 PIG GUIDE 2024

• Herd B contains parities 3 to 5, • Herd C holding parties 6 and above.

Herd A (Paras 1&2) carries the cost of creative investment, herd B (Paras 3-5) is working at revenue generation, while herd C (Para 6+) is a risk management challenge with less opportunity to generate revenue compared to herd B. GiltWatch reports will ask why parity 6+ sows are retained, and the answers should be found when sow retention rates are analysed.

“A HerdScope analysis on the data collected from the herd’s recording programme is used to evaluate past performance, current productivity, and prospective performance if production potential was being achieved. What GiltWatch then adds to these reports is a more detailed breakdown of the performance in every parity. It calculates these figures using the data the business is already accumulating, but the key difference is that this autonomous tool, is used independently to improve breeding herd efficiency using the resources the business already has at its disposal,” he explains.

production going forward. They must be capable of measuring production efficiency in ways that will help pig businesses satisfy 3E demands and stay profitable. Metrics such as sow retention rate, pigs weaned per tonne of sow feed at parity five, pigs sold per 100 original breeding replacements, will elevate production efficiency far quicker and more effectively than a continual push to increase littersize.

“Although the number of pigs weaned/sow/year continues to climb, the economics of pig production output remain mediocre and we must question why. My experience using GiltWatch on clients’ herds has shown that up to 15% of sow places in high-output pig businesses, some delivering prizewinning numbers weaned per sow each year, are filled by non-productive females. A ghost population hiding within the herd, consuming inputs, amassing costs but delivering no return and perpetually compromising business efficiency,” says Stephen.

Feed metrics that make sense Using advanced metrics unlocks a new dimension.

Right: Stephen Hall

The parity of the sow influences much more than just breeding herd performance. Sow age has implications for the progeny produced, in terms of piglet viability, subsequent performance (lean growth and FCR) and inherent health/immune status etc. The narrow focus of current pig recording systems leaves this area, and others relating to sustainability and carbon footprint, relatively unexplored, whereas advanced business metrics such as GiltWatchTogether’s algorithms, are positioned to deliver KPIs capable of analysing rearing herd performance within the herd-withinherd format.

“This concept demands actions from the management team; positive responses on how the enterprise might navigate problems by improving husbandry and its management routines. It’s not a device to promote genetics, feed, health products etc,” says Mr Hall.

The UK pig industry must consider the efficacy of the KPIs it relies on to measure and mould pig

Benchmarking the number of pigs weaned per tonne of sow feed at parity five is another reliable KPI when evaluating efficiency.

Used as a standard GiltWatch calculation, this metric demonstrates the average life time output/input balance (pigs to feed) of a pig production process, and gives a clear indicator of how much yield (number of pigs weaned) a business is getting from each tonne of feed invested in its breeding sows.

Initially the assessment will be retrospective, so the eventual outcome will depend on how the business responds to what their data is reporting.

“If pigs weaned per sow per year is the benchmark and numbers appear healthy, with sow feed consumption fairly static, then where is the stimulus to change? By exploring lifetime performance in relation to feed used to parity five, a business can see how efficiency dynamics influence production costs from the outset. Any failure to achieve potential, will reduce output value – hence the pigs weaned will cost more to produce,” says Stephen.

Pigs weaned per tonne of sow feed at parity five is reported as a linear series of herd-within-herd (cohort) results and can extend back as far as a business requires. The value of this measurement demonstrates how every cohort of say 100 replacement gilts performs across a total lifetime >>

PIG GUIDE 2024 11

PERFORMANCE >> cycle and is a more accurate picture of actual herd output against input.

GiltWatch analytics assess the total output of each cohort of 100 replacements across their fiveparity lifetime. So, if each female has the capability to wean 12 pigs a litter, there is potential to yield 6000 pigs. Obviously, not all cohort members will ‘survive’ to parity five and numbers born and weaned will fluctuate. However, this is a reliable target as all damline genotypes should deliver this performance if the correct health status, nutrition, environment and husbandry are provided.

Feed consumption is calculated as the cumulative tonnage used to sustain the sow for five breeding cycles. A modelled value is added in to represent the feed used during gilt rearing. The total output to parity five (pigs weaned) is then divided by the feed calculation to deliver the statistic: pigs weaned per tonne of sow feed used to parity 5.

“Standard metrics can report two herds achieving 31.5 pigs weaned per sow per year, but they will not detail how one herd (A) might be producing 14.2 pigs weaned per tonne of sow feed at parity five while the other (B) is weaning 27.6 pigs. This difference can only be detected using advanced metrics and herd-within-herd analytics,” says Stephen.

The 31.5 pigs weaned calculated by standard reporting is derived from the average number of pigs weaned per litter multiplied by the number of litters produced per sow per year. So, both herds are weaning an average 13.0 pigs per litter from 2.42

litters per sow per year. However, this metric takes no account of how many sows were return serves, because the number of pigs weaned per litter is only recorded against the farrowing that produced them. The number of oestrus/service cycles required to deliver these pigs are not credited in this calculation; there is no reckoning for accumulated non-productive days (empty sows using inputs, delivering no return), those accrued to reach the successful farrowing and subsequent weaning.

“Using advanced business metrics (ABMs) to analyse the lifetime performance of 100-sow cohorts demonstrates how the most reproductively and financially efficient herd in this scenario is the one that has fewer empty days, maintains a low conception failure rate and has better sow retention across one to five parities. It will also benchmark more than 25 pigs weaned per tonne of sow feed used at a parity five,” Stephen explains.

Continuous herd reporting can’t identify the difference of 13.4 pigs at parity five between herds A and B or how Herd A, with 28% sow retention, requires another 50 sows to produce the equivalent 27.6 pigs weaned at parity five. Herd B’s higher output at parity five demonstrates the value of its superior, 78% retention rate and how this business is more reproductively efficient across all parities. It is managing to optimise the genetic potential available via frontier husbandry, because the ABMs being used to evaluate herd performance are identifying inefficiencies that standard, continuous-flow metrics cannot quantify.

GiltWatch: Commercially relevant metrics that will push production potential

A

groVision data shows the UK breeding herd has steadily reduced its parity profile during the past 10 years towards a one to five range – a direct response to an independent initiative derived almost 10 years ago on a 600-sow herd in East Anglia to counter reproductive failure in parity 2 females.

Led by pig business consultant Stephen Hall, the project was rolled out to industry by AHDB Pork in 2017 as GiltWatch™ to reduce the nationwide high cull rates of young females (parity 3 and below).

The concept has now evolved into GiltWatchTogether™, an innovative, independent herd recording and data analysis model that uses advanced lifetime analytics and KPIs such as sow retention rate and pigs weaned per tonne of sow feed at parity 5, to assess herd performance and identify finite inefficiencies that might exist within in the layers that make up the entire production process These analytics are questioning the ethics and economics of continually pushing for greater prolificacy – that is more pigs weaned per sow per year – as they are demonstrating how breeding herds can raise efficiency and profit potential by targeting frontier husbandry to capture more of the production potential they already have on offer on their farms.

12 PIG GUIDE 2024

INTERVIEW BY PAUL SMITH

In partnership with sustainability the goal Dr Stephen Mansbridge of Harper Adams University is a key player in a team committed to the challenge of ensuring that by 2030 its School of Sustainable Food and Farming will provide access for farmers and food producers to innovations that will help them achieve their own Net Zero goals. Pig Guide recognises the need for the UK pig industry to embrace new sustainability needs and opportunities and has asked how Harper is guiding its students in the appropriate direction and preparing them for vast changes.

Recently Harper Adams University received an accolade for being The Specialist University of the Year. What is unique about Harper?

As a specialist university, Harper Adams is recognised as having a genuine and ongoing reputation, nationally and internationally, for teaching in our subject area of food production and technology, animal health and wellbeing, and their contribution to sustainable, living environments for our planet’s inhabitants. Our unique history, including the original bequeath from Thomas Harper Adams to establish a school of agriculture, is still very much in focus even as technology and society advances. However, while the Harper Adams of today continues to provide teaching excellence, we concurrently produce high quality internationally published research and knowledge

exchange to support the whole sector. To me it is the engagement of all stakeholders with Harper Adams that makes us such a unique community of industry, staff and students all working together to achieve sustainability in food production, farming and the allied industries. To support these activities, we have a fully commercial farrow-to-finish pig unit as part of our Future Farm right in the middle of the campus, allowing us to demonstrate innovation and practice in a real-world setting.

When and why was the decision made to refresh the agricultural curriculum at Harper?

We review and revise our curriculum frequently to ensure it is fit for purpose and current and that graduates leaving us, after typically four years of study, are relevant to industry requirements. Harper >>

PIG GUIDE 2024 13

INTERVIEW >> Forward is the latest iteration of our undergraduate curriculum with several courses trailblazing in the autumn 2023/24 and all other courses, including agriculture, launching in the autumn of 2024.

Do you have a personal message about sustainability priorities for the UK pig industry?

Sustainability is generally considered to be the balance of three focus areas. Pig production needs to be economically viable, so achieving key performance indicators of productivity while controlling expenditure, is important, though other factors including market forces will also play into profitability. Preventing exotic diseases entering the UK such as African Swine Fever, which has affected much of Asia and Europe in recent years, and tackling endemic diseases already in the UK herd are both vital. However, we also need responsible use of medicines to maintain high health status and ensure these veterinary products are available longterm for the industry.

Producing pigs is an integrated part of our environment but comes with challenges to ensure we are farming in a responsible and environmentally sensitive way. Net zero carbon is talked about widely but is far from the only metric when we are considering the second pillar of sustainability – the environment. Alternative protein sources to replace imported soya, especially soya connected to land use change, are currently high priority in the package of environmental risk mitigation measures.

On the third focus area of sustainability, ethical production, UK farmers already produce to some of the highest standards in the world. However, addressing societal concerns on topics including animal welfare perceptions and environmental pollution potentials, particularly through education and transparency, are important in maintaining a trusted pig production industry.

At Harper, in autumn 2024 a BSc(Hons) course is scheduled to start in Environmental Management and Sustainability. What does this course involve?

What impact are graduates from this course likely to have in making pig production more sustainable and where will they be employed?

Harper Forward is our newly refreshed curriculum and courses for autumn 2023 and 2024 entry. As part of Harper Forward, the new BSc (Hons) in Environmental Management and Sustainability is part of the Environment, Sustainability & Wildlife Degrees. Currently pending accreditation by the

14 PIG GUIDE 2024

Above: Stephen Mansbridge is senior lecturer in Animal Science and Bioinformatics at Harper Adams University Above right: Focusing on sow functional teats, supplementary milk and creep feed provision for piglets are important factors in managing the hyper-prolific sow and large litter sizes.

Institute of Environmental Management, this course is designed for those wanting to enter environmental consultancy, advisors specialising in sustainable business management and environmental land management, and professionals working in renewable energy, sustainable food production and catchment management.

Sustainable pig production requires partnership working with an alliance of all stakeholders in the chain. Graduates from the new Environmental Management and Sustainability course are therefore ideally placed to work in partnership with pig producers to devise and implement environmental safeguards and mitigation strategy for the future.

What contribution is Harper already making towards enhanced sustainability in the UK pig industry?

Harper Adams has been teaching and researching pig production for many decades. In that time, we have helped the industry on a range of projects contributing to sustainable practices and trained generations of pig producers and those working in the allied industries. Recently, research projects have included a focus on managing the hyper-prolific sow and large litter sizes by better understanding supplementary milk and creep feed provision for piglets. We have also aided the feed industry in developing and using phytase enzyme products to reduce global reliance on non-renewable quarried phosphorus, and we are currently working on dietary modifications that may be needed to optimise diets for pigs bedded on straw. The School of Sustainable Food and Farming provides a new platform for our knowledge exchange activities and is enabling a collaborative approach to the challenges identified by the sector as a priority for sustainability.

Any thoughts on the demands for increased biological circularity and do you envisage major changes in cropping programmes because of reduced availability of cereals and the need to feed pigs differently?

Biological circularity is fundamental to having a circular economy, so by adopting an integrated farm management approach, producers can help drive sustainability. The pig sector is already doing well at using co-products that cannot be used in human food. Other options are being explored such as processed animal proteins and the use of insects to convert vegetable waste into animal feed.

Compared to other countries, is the UK pig industry giving sustainability sufficient priority?

The UK is notably behind other countries and the European Union in legislating for the use of these processed animal proteins but when authorised, this may allow us to feed pigs differently and get closer to a circular economy and sustainability.

PIG GUIDE 2024 15

PEDIGREE PORK

Pedigree breeders find success with pork Following a largely unreported path of progress, a sector of UK pig production has set a record of growth and sustainability.

P

edigree pig farmers are using their passion for individual breeds to connect with the public through product and by raising awareness of farming and environmental issues.

The number of producers selling pork direct to the consumer now spreads country wide with a British Pig Association contact map showing suppliers across England, Wales, Scotland and into Northern Ireland.

Individual breeds also name producers offering pig meat in various forms with the Oxford Sandy and Black topping the list at 80 outlets. Large Black is next with 38 meat suppliers. Many of the other rare breeds have also established a market for their meat.

On line sales, local markets and links with specialised butchers are all part of the sales strategy. Some have developed their business into a farm shop.

Sales literature is mostly based on the low-key rearing process, an identifiable source and the quality of the meat. Many emphasise the outdoor nature of their production process and diets that are free from additives.

An Internet search shows the range and extent of pork products now offered. Web pages are widely used to explain and promote individual farms, the meat they produce and the environmentally friendly habitats they encourage. Separate pork suppliers are also extensively featured. Welsh based Porc Blasus is one example of an individual source of Where to buy pig meat across a wide area. https:// porcblasus.cymru/where-to-buy/ The efforts of these breeders (the BPA has a long-running Eat Them to Save Them campaign) could also play a part in helping to secure the future for breeds such as the British Saddleback, Berkshire,

16 PIG GUIDE 2024

Tamworth and Large White now regarded as ‘vulnerable’ by the Rare Breed Preservation Trust.

Jane Mathews, chair of the BPA’s Sustainable Pork Production Committee, told the Pig Guide that renewed emphasis is being placed on promoting the Pedigree Pork scheme and the conservation benefits of eating higher welfare, sustainably produced pork.

“My feeling is that there are now more breeders supplying meat - whether this is selling to friends and family, selling locally through pop-up shops/ farm gate sales, having a farm shop, supplying a local shop/butcher/restaurant, or indeed regularly supplying weaners/pigs to other people with outlets.

We are also working on models to support local supply chains,” she said.

“While times are challenging, they are also exciting and there are opportunities for breeders of pedigree pigs to develop markets for their produce especially now food sustainability and food security are so important.”

Jane, who breeds Oxford Sandy and Black pigs and runs an unmanned farm shop with refrigerated vending machines for various meat and other products (https://www.hopecottagefarmshop.co.uk/), reports that another OSB breeder,

Blythburgh pork, from pigs that are “truly free range”

Broadways Herd (Tania Whittick), is recently venturing into the world of charcuterie and has set up a facility to produce a range of products.

Unit sizes cover a wide range. Little Oak Farm is a 30-acre holding in the Exmoor National Park where Pam and Andy, with no pig keeping experience, began with Middle Whites eight years ago. A small niche market grew when a local chef put their pork on his menu; expansion came in 2018 with an on-farm butchery and business continues to grow with sales from north Scotland to Cornwall. http://www.littleoakfarm.co.uk/ Blythburgh Pigs, established by Jimmy Butler in 1978, became pioneers in free range pig farming on a larger scale. Their website reports: “Research shows that very few people, butchers and chefs included, understand how much free-range pig farming differs from the more conventional pig farming systems commonly used today. At Blythburgh it’s simple, our pigs are truly free range, it’s our mission to give our pigs a life worth living

Large Blacks at The Hope Farm Project and we think that’s worth shouting about! https://www.freerangepork.co.uk/ Pig keeping and pigmeat processing courses are also run by pedigree producers and pigs are part of ‘care farm’ projects which offer help across a range of health conditions. One example is The Hope Farm Project based at Halberton, Devon, which holds the belief that ‘working with plants and animals in the great outdoors offers massive benefits to people of all ages, both mentally and physically.’ https://www.thehopefarmproject.co.uk/ The importance of native rare breeds was underlined by Christopher Price, chief executive of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust when, commenting on the Trust’s latest Watchlist, he said: “Each of these breeds has unique characteristics, they are part of the UK’s heritage but they also have an important role in food production today and the resilience of our pig industry into the future.”

PIG GUIDE 2024 17

ADHB

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board

T

he Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is a statutory levy board funded by farmers and processors. A statutory instrument legally obliges AHDB to collect a levy from the Pork, Cereals & Oilseeds, Beef & Lamb, and Dairy sectors.

The purpose of the levy is to address things that are vital but that will not otherwise get done by individuals or commercial organisations.

While we are prohibited from lobbying, our independent evidence is used by government, trade organisations, media, and our marketing campaigns as we seek to protect and promote all sectors.

Pork Sector Plan

The AHDB Pork Sector Council decides where the pork levy is invested on your behalf each year.

The sector plan was shaped by what levy payers told us was most important: • Marketing • Exports • Reputation These themes support one another, and all our work improves one or more of these.

Marketing

AHDB’s insight data shows consumers are becoming ever more challenging regarding the impact of meat eating on human health, animal health and welfare, and the environment. We use the consumer insight evidence to inspire a positive attitude towards British pork by championing it as a healthy, sustainable and versatile choice. We know that reminding shoppers to choose pork, for home cooking or when eating out, is an essential component for long-term profitability.

Towards the end of last year, we began making changes to the way we market pork, as we were finally able to promote it as British. Previously this was restricted by EU State Aid Rules. We can now support British products more openly so long as there is no trade distortion. As a result, our Autumn campaign ‘Feed Your Family For Less With British Pork’ was complimented by a new Love Pork logo featuring the Union Flag alongside the Red Tractor logo.

Our ‘Mix Up Midweek with Pork’ campaign that

18 PIG GUIDE 2024

ran in early 2023 put the focus on lean and healthier cuts such as medallions, fillet, loin steak and 5% mince. The campaign reached 27 million adults across all channels which included ITV, Channel 4 and Sky and achieved 68 million impressions across social media. Eight major supermarkets participated through online banners, instore branding, and onpack stickers which featured a QR code linking to healthy recipes.

A key focus continues to be the younger Gen Z (18–25-year-olds) audience. Our goal is to ensure that pork is a regular choice in their baskets, as they are becoming an increasingly important target audience in maintaining long-term demand. The main Mix Up Midweek campaign messages successfully landed with over three-quarters of the Gen Z audience agreeing that pork provides nine vitamins and minerals as well as offering good value.

Measuring impact on sales is extremely expensive so most years the money is spent on promotions rather than measurement. However, in 2020 measurement showed that the first three years of the Mix Up Midweek campaign delivered a combined uplift in sales of £37.3 million, which, if attributed to AHDB activities, shows how much value paying a levy offers.

Exports

AHDB, in collaboration with industry and government, supports UK pig meat sales overseas to enable every part of the pig to be sold for the best value. In turn, this work underpins domestic pig prices and addresses carcase balance issues.

For 2023/24 we set a budget of £2.5 million to help continue to grow our global reputation as a producer of quality, safe and wholesome food.

In 2022, the value of pig meat exports rose to £624 million. Volume surpassed 372,000 tonnes, which was an increase of 7% compared to the previous year. Offal drove most of the uplift while China remained the biggest market, taking nearly 127,000 tonnes.

Last year we continued our activity at trade fairs.

AHDB had a big presence at Anuga 2023 in Cologne, Germany, which was the most important event on the calendar for the global food industry.

The biennial show attracted more than 100,000 influential visitors from around the world.

Elsewhere our export team returned to SIAL Shanghai for the first time since the Covid pandemic and opportunities for UK pork exports to Chile, amid an anticipated growth in consumer demand, were explored in Santiago.

We also invited several Japanese importers for a five-day mission, to learn more about sustainable pork, beef, and lamb production. It was the first inward mission from Asia since the pandemic

and included a number of farm visits as well as a networking dinner with leading exporters to consider new business opportunities.

Reputation

AHDB is in a unique position to provide unbiased data and evidence to show the truth about British pig farming, challenge misrepresentations, and champion the best aspects of the industry. This is all vital to protect and promote the reputation of the sector.

Stable Isotope Reference Analysis (SIRA) is used to verify whether pork products claiming to be British are truly British. SIRA acts as both a deterrent and an early warning system. We cannot test everything, but we can test enough to discourage bad actors and quickly discover whether a product is or is not consistent with British origin.

Another example of using data to defend the UK pig industry from unfair criticism is the collection of antibiotic usage via the electronic Medicine Book (eMB) system. Last year it achieved a remarkable milestone by surpassing the 30% reduction target in total antibiotic use set by the RUMA Targets Task Force (TTF) between 2020 and 2024. This achievement represented an impressive eight-year reduction of 75%, highlighting the collaborative efforts throughout the sector. >> We have been involved in a major project

PIG GUIDE 2024 19

ADHB

>> aiming to reduce the environmental impact of ammonia emissions from livestock after ammoniaharvesting technology was trialled at a pig farm. The PigProGrAm, backed by £600,000 of government money, brought farming and engineering expertise together to demonstrate a farm-focused solution for the harvesting of green ammonia from pig waste that could also lead to the creation of hydrogen, a valuable tool in the fight against climate change.

Training

Underpinning our work in marketing, exports, and reputation is the upskilling of those in the pig industry.

Last year we reintroduced Stockperson Plus, a programme of advanced workshops that address the growing challenges and responsibilities.

We redesigned the syllabus to cover topics like water management, managing casualty pigs, and assurance schemes in more detail for the first time, with all learning moved online. The redeveloped programme helps cement AHDB’s role as the leading organisation of such training and naturally follows on from the Stockperson Development Scheme to further develop the technical skills of pig unit staff.

Everyone involved in the care, moving, and handling of pigs on farm needs to complete online welfare training as part of Red Tractor standards.

The UK Pig Industry Welfare Training platform was developed by AHDB and the wider industry to ensure a consistent and high level of welfare throughout and demonstrate to consumers that we are a responsible industry that takes the care and welfare of our livestock seriously.

20 PIG GUIDE 2024

Education

If young people are not educated about the merits of eating pork, they may not do so and be drawn to other foodstuffs instead without understanding the full consequences for their own health and the environment.

That is one of the reasons why we have partnered with LEAF Education to offer funded training opportunities to 20 farmers from across all sectors to help them deliver high-quality, safe, and memorable on-farm experiences for school children. Those involved will receive Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme training and accreditation.

Contacts

• Get in touch with the Pork team at: ahdb.org.uk/meet-the-team-pork • For general information and news, visit our website: ahdb.org.uk/pork • Subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter, Pork Weekly, at: preferencecentre.ahdb.org.uk

RED TRACTOR

Building trust in your products: Red Tractor’s latest ad campaign Red Tractor’s latest TV advertising campaign reminds consumers why they can trust products carrying the logo, and shows that: “When the Red Tractor’s there, your food’s farmed with care”.

R

ed Tractor’s award winning advertising campaign shares a series of proof points that demonstrate how Red Tractor ensures food is responsibly produced and meets the scheme’s rigorous standards.

The cost of living is having a big impact on household budgets, with shopping and eating habits changing. So, the campaign highlights that, even in these price-conscious times, consumers can still buy British food that is assured to high UK specifications, just by looking for the Red Tractor logo. This way, shoppers can also contribute to a better future for British agriculture, farmers, growers and producers.

Every year, Red Tractor assures the entire journey of more than £15 billion worth of food and drink, right across the supply chain - from farming and transportation to production and packaging.

“

Red Tractor – the most trusted assurance scheme The advertising reminds consumers that the Red Tractor logo is a symbol they can trust. Research has found that Red Tractor is the most trusted assurance scheme in the UK, with seven out of ten main shoppers (equivalent to 16.1 million shoppers) aware of the logo, seeing it as an independent source they can trust.

Beyond TV, the campaign appears on social media channels, on-demand platforms and Red Tractor’s own websites.

For more information on the scheme and how it operates go to www.redtractorassurance.org.uk or www.redtractor.org.uk/our-standard/pork

PIG GUIDE 2024 21

RSPCA marks 30 years of assurance scheme

T

his year marks the 30th anniversary of RSPCA Assured, the RSPCA’s farm animal welfare assurance scheme and ethical food label. The scheme was set up to improve farmed animal welfare and give consumers a higher welfare choice. We have achieved significant success and now: • almost 25% of pigs in the UK are RSPCA Assured • over 24 million terrestrial animals are covered by the scheme • the RSPCA Assured label is found on more than 1,800 products across all major supermarkets • pork products account for 48% of the different RSPCA Assured products available • the food service industry works with us to source RSPCA Assured products - McDonald’s sources 100% of pork from RSPCA Assured farms Our impact on improving pig welfare firmly remains one of RSPCA Assured’s biggest successes and we are proud to have almost a quarter of UK pig production operating under the RSPCA Assured scheme. With more than 880 different RSPCA Assured pork products on offer in retail, they account for over 48% of all the different RSPCA Assured products available.

RSPCA Assured is the only assurance scheme in the UK dedicated solely to improving farmed animal welfare. Our welfare standards are developed by teams of experienced RSPCA scientists and industry experts to improve the welfare of each of the major animal species farmed in the UK. The standards are regularly updated to take account of changes in the farming industry as well as the most up-to-date knowledge and understanding of animal welfare.

For pork products to be labelled RSPCA Assured, all stages of a pig’s life must have been covered by the RSPCA’s standards including on farm, in transport and at the abattoir. Processors and packers must also be RSPCA Assured certified. The standards encourage best practice in pig health, diet, environment and care.

Our partnerships team supports organisations - including retailers and the foodservice industry to advance higher welfare farming practices and promotes the use of RSPCA Assured products. Today, the visibility of the label has never been higher with 62% of UK consumers now recognising the label.* We are supported by all of the major retailers and

22 PIG GUIDE 2024

recently welcomed Marks and Spencers’ marketleading commitment to only sell RSPCA Assured fresh chicken in addition to all pork, farmed salmon, farmed trout, milk and eggs. They now stock more RSPCA Assured products than any retailer.

The scheme continues to see strong support from industry partners and our members - as well as consumers choosing RSPCA Assured products.

Despite the rising cost of living, customers are showing retailers that they still care where their food comes from. Since the launch of the scheme, consumer awareness of animal welfare has also risen, recent consumer polling by RSPCA Assured showed that 69% of consumers consider animal welfare a key issue for them**.

Pigs farmed under RSPCA Assured can be kept indoors, outdoors, free-range or organic as long as the RSPCA’s strict welfare standards are being met.

RSPCA Assured aims to improve the welfare of all farm animals, whether they are reared indoors or out.

RSPCA Assured is proof that the lives of farm animals can be significantly improved in a practical and achievable way. It also acts as a catalyst for improvements to the lives of farmed animals throughout the whole food and farming industry, not just in the UK but worldwide.

You can find more information on how to become a member here https://business. rspcaassured.org.uk/ or fill in an application request form https://www.tfaforms.com/4833114 Follow RSPCA Assured for news: Twitter: @rspcaassured Facebook: RSPCAAssured Instagram: @rspcaassured_official *Opinium Research poll of 2,000 UK respondents - Q1 2023 **Opinium Research poll of 2,000 UK respondents, Q2 2023.

HUMANE SLAUGHTER ASSOCIATION (HSA)

Association advises on and promotes humane transport and slaughter

T

he HSA is a UK-based, independent Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) dedicated to promoting the use of humane methods for the transport and slaughter of farmed animals through research and education. We play a vital role in improving the welfare of animals during transport, marketing and slaughter for welfare reasons and disease control.

Practical and international

We are dedicated to bringing practical and lasting improvements to the welfare of food animals around the world. The HSA works with the meat and livestock industry and animal welfare scientists globally to deliver training and advice. Our courses range from practical, hands-on training in slaughter and emergency killing methods, to tailored lectures and classroom-based training (hsa.org.uk/trainingeducation). We also produce guidance documents that align with the latest best practice and legislation, many of which are free to download from our website (hsa.org.uk/publications).

the high concentrations of carbon dioxide currently used, but our research found that LAPS is unlikely to be a humane alternative. Whilst disappointing, this provides crucial evidence to protect the welfare of pigs at slaughter and to shift the focus of future research to find other potential improvements.

Providing expert independent advice

We work with governments and other organisations to provide feedback on legislation and guidelines concerning the transport and slaughter of animals.

In 2021, we provided advice on potential handling and lairage systems to be used in conjunction with a mobile, or pop up, abattoir operated by Fir Farm Ltd and based in the Cotswolds, UK. We also wrote a letter of support highlighting the animal welfare advantages associated with shorter journey times and smaller throughputs. More recently, we provided feedback to Defra on their initial list of items to be included in the Smaller Abattoir Fund.

Funding research

We provide research funding for projects aimed at improving animal welfare beyond the farm gate.

In collaboration with Defra, we recently funded a project to look for a humane alternative to stunning pigs with carbon dioxide in commercial abattoirs.

Low Atmospheric Pressure Stunning (LAPS) was seen as a potentially more humane method than

Find out more

To find out more or to support our work, visit our www.hsa.org.uk, email info@hsa.org.uk or call +44 (0) 1582 831919.

PIG GUIDE 2024 23

Your guide to BPA: British Pig Association The British Pig Association is the independent national pedigree registration organisation for 14 breeds of pig in the UK. Founded in 1884, the Association today is dedicated to the conservation of our native pig breeds. In partnership with the RBST, a genebank is being built to protect our breeds in the event of an outbreak of exotic disease. As part of our on-farm conservation programme we try to help small scale producers of pedigree pigs build sustainable rural businesses to ensure the long-term survival of our breeds in the farmyard. In support of this objective the BPA has launched a Pedigree Pork programme to promote finished pigs from pedigree breeders to independent butchers and assist with direct retailing of pork to consumers. Our Junior Pig Club works with schools to encourage the next generation of pedigree pig breeders and raise awareness of the link between consumption and conservation.

Eat Them to Save Them

The BPA website has an interactive search page for local suppliers of pedigree pork. The website also has full listings of suppliers of both breeding and finished pedigree pigs based on the latest information from the pedigree database.

The BPA has always recognised the individual identity of the breeds within the association. Each breed elects its own representatives who are the first point of contact for members with questions about pedigree breeding or problems to be resolved. A full list of representatives is available from the BPA website.

British Pig Association PO Box 1542 Cambridge CB1 0JS

24 PIG GUIDE 2024

WHO’S WHO President: The Marquess of Salisbury KCVO PC DL Chairman: Brian Kelly • briankelly134@gmail.com Conservation Committee: Guy Kiddy • balshampigs@btinternet.com Sustainable Pork Production Committee: Jane Mathews • Pork@britishpigs.org Show Group: Maria Naylor • maria@framfieldpigs.co.uk Junior Pig Club: Tracey Bretherton • gracebank.pigs@yahoo.co.uk Pedigree enquiries: Diane Stanford • pedigree@britishpigs.org 01223 845096 (Voicemail only in the afternoon) Please include your HDL and breed of pigs in any messages or e-mails Show enquiries: shows@britishpigs.org Accounts enquiries: accounts@britishpigs.org Export enquiries: Chris Jackson • exports@uktag.co.uk Chief executive: Marcus Bates Email: bpa@britishpigs.org Web: www.britishpigs.org Twitter: @britishpigassoc Facebook: @britishpigs

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

‘Just say – Yes’

A

s I step into the role of chairman of the British Pig Association, I welcome the opportunity to represent all members of the organisation.

We have started our journey under the new BPA constitution which was specifically designed so that all members can take part in the work of the association.

As we prepare to celebrate our 25th anniversary we need anyone who cares about the conservation of our pedigree pig breeds, the future of smallscale pig farming and sustainable pork production

to get on board and work together. Under our new constitution you don’t have to be elected as a breed representative to take part you just need to put up your hand and say ‘Yes I want to be part of this conservation project’.

Of course step one is to breed pedigree pigs but, if together, we want to do more than just run a herd book then we all need to join in. To paraphrase John F Kennedy ‘Don’t ask what the BPA is going to do for you instead ask what you are going to do save our pedigree pigs’.

Brian Kelly briankelly134@gmail.com

PIG GUIDE 2024 25

National Pig Association The NPA is the only organisation that represents British pig producers within Government, and with processors, caterers and retailers.

Our activities on their behalf include: • Engaging with the media to promote and provide insight into the pig sector • Lobbying all relevant Government departments to protect and enhance members’ interests • Pushing Government to do all it can to protect our borders from notifiable disease entry and raise awareness to all stakeholders • Working closely with Defra to secure a positive outcome for pig farmers as policies change and agricultural reform continues • Regular discussions with retailers and processors fighting for a fair price and treatment of producers • Responding on members’ behalf to consultations and official enquiries • Representing pig farmers to a wide variety of interest groups • Collaborating with farming groups across the UK and EU. • Providing one to one support for members on a wide variety of issues • Targeted campaigns to promote British pork If you would like to know more about the vital role that our organisation plays in the pig industry, please contact us!

National Pig Association Agriculture House, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire CV8 2TZ Tel 02476 858780 Email npa@npanet.org.uk Web www.npa-uk.org.uk

26 PIG GUIDE 2024

WHO’S WHO THE STAFF Chief Executive: Lizzie Wilson Tel: 07790 117091 Chief Policy Advisor: Charlie Dewhirst Tel: 07741 263194 Senior Policy Advisor: Katie Jarvis Tel: 07551 155654 Office Manager: Andrea Tranter Tel: 02476 858780 NPA BOARD* Rob Mutimer Chairman Phil Stephenson Vice Chairman Hugh Crabtree Vice Chairman Tom Allen Howard Revell Jane Matthews Tom Bradshaw NPA PIG INDUSTRY GROUP* Tom Allen Rob Mutimer Phil Stephenson Hugh Crabtree Sally Stockings Andrew Freemantle Robin Lawson Sophie Hope Joe Dewhirst Howard Revell Michelle Sprent Oliver Bown – Vice Chairman Gemma Thwaites Ashley Gilman Eduardo Velazquez Steve Urwin * Subject to change following elections in February 2024

STATISTICS • AT A GLANCE UK pig herd 1999 7,285,000 2009 4,540,000 2019 5,078,000 2022 5,192,000 UK breeding sows 1999 689,000 2009 426,000 2019 413,000 2022 343,000 ENGLAND Gilts for breeding 2019 73,000 2021 80,000 Boars in use 2019 10,000 2021 10,000 Sows in pig 2019 230,000 2021 201,000 Finishing pigs 2019 3,373,000 2021 3,700,000 Total pigs - England 2021 4,100,000 UK Pork consumption (average per person, per week) 2014 57g 2022 39g Average consumer spend (per person per week) 2014 30p 2022 21p Average litter size – pigs born alive per litter 2014 12.2 2022 13.8 Litter mortality rate

– pre weaning 2014 12.6% 2022 12.6% Average slaughter weight 2014 80.9kg 2022 90kg Self-sufficiency in pigmeat 2014 61.1% 2022 69.4% Number of abattoirs 2011 125 for pigs 2022 86 for pigs [1981 – in the counties of Bedford, Cambridge, Essex, Hertford, Lincoln, Norfolk, Northampton and Suffolk: 165] Rare breeds BPA registered breeders Berkshire 110 British Landrace 21 British Saddleback 124 Duroc 16 Gloucester Old Spots 115 Hampshire 6 Large Black 112 Large White 43 Mangalitza 22 Middle White 65 Oxford Sandy and Black 136 Pietrain 18 Tamworth 74 Welsh 40 Total: 3327 British Lop Society - 98

BACK IN TIME

1998 an ‘unprecedented crisis in the pig industry’ UK self-sufficiency in pig meat: 71 per cent UK share of the British bacon market: 49 per cent EU pigmeat consumption: 42.8kg/head UK pig breeding herd: 781,000 Number of holdings (1997): 14,409 Imports / tonnes (1997): 174,000 Home-fed production / tonnes (1997): 874,000 Average price comparison October 1995 Retail price (p/kg): 306.4 Producer price (p/kg): 126.3 October 1998 Retail price (p/kg): 279.5 Producer price (p/kg): 62.4 Production cost of producing 66kg deadweight pig: £63.44 Figures from a report on the UK pig industry by the House of Commons Agriculture Committee published January 1999.

Sources: Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, British Pig Association

PIG GUIDE 2024 27

Where there is help....

When faced with challenges, it’s reassuring to know that there are a number of resources you can access. Their practical advice, guidance and support continue to make a huge difference to many in the farming community.

The Farming Community Network The FCN is a primary source for pastoral and practical support for anyone in the farming community, with a particular focus on farmers and farming families. The helpline is available every day of the year, 7am to 11pm. www.fcn.org.uk Helpline: 03000111999

supporting those in the agricultural sector. The mental health charity has grown and covers the whole of Wales with all areas of support.

The DPJ Foundation works with leading organisations in the sector including NFU Cymru, FUW, YFC, vets and Welsh Government to help provide an accessible and flexible service. www.thedpjfoundation.co.uk Helpline: 0800 587 4262

Mind – the mental health charity The YANA Project

The YANA Project provides confidential support, mental health awareness and funding for counselling for those in farming and rural trades in Norfolk, Suffolk and Worcestershire. It has published and funded a directory of regional support groups and key national charities which can specifically help those in the rural communities. www.yanahelp.org Helpline: 0300 323 0400

The DPJ Foundation

The DPJ Foundation was set up in July 2016 in Pembrokeshire,

28 PIG GUIDE 2024

Mind provides advice and support to anyone experiencing a mental health problem. The charity campaigns to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. www.mind.org.uk Infoline: 0300 123 3393

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution

RABI offers financial support to farming people of all ages facing hardship. Every application for support is treated on its own merit, working with compassion and discretion. Support is offered on both a short-term and long-term basis, with many becoming

‘full beneficiaries’ of the charity, receiving on-going payments. www.rabi.org.uk Helpline: 0800 188 4444

The RSABI

RSABI offers practical and financial support and friendship to more than 600 individuals and their families working on the land in Scotland. The team works to support anyone who asks for help and is within their scope, in the strictest confidence. www.rsabi.org.uk Helpline: 7am -11pm: 0300 111 4166

The Addington Fund

The Addington Fund provides homes for farming families in England and Wales who have to leave the industry through no fault of their own. Hardship grants are also available, at the trustees’ discretion, in times of emergency. www.addingtonfund.org.uk Call: 01926 620135

For other sources of support visit: www.ahdb.org.uk/ support-for-farmers

PIG GUIDE DIRECTORY 2024

Standing by your side, to build a better future With the British pig industry facing its biggest crisis in 25 years’, at ARM we know the challenging times that producers are experiencing.

While we do not have a magic wand, at ARM Buildings we are here to help. n More energy efficient buildings can offer significant cost savings n Providing the right environment can optimise performance n Real-time monitoring allows issues to be spotted and addressed n Reductions in pig numbers provide a good opportunity for

converting/updating/modifying existing buildings Talk to a company that has over 50 years’ experience of supplying design and build services to the pig industry to see how we can help.

paul.marland@armbuildings.co.uk

www.armbuildings.co.uk

01889 575055

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CLEANING

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ARM Buildings have manufactured specialist pig buildings for over 35 years. Our buildings are manufactured using the company’s own factorymade laminated panel system. ARM Buildings are equipped with the best available equipment and materials and include monitored ventilation systems with a free 12 month subscription to ‘Barn Report Pro’. As well as supplying new buildings as a complete package, buildings can be delivered in kit form. Refurbishment projects are also undertaken and a wide range of equipment from slats to feed systems are available. ARM Buildings offer a full project management service including base-works construction, erection of buildings, installation of equipment and a full planning service.

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With the ability to have two operators working from one machine, the Evolution 3 24 Hp Loncin V-Twin pressure washers offer unrivalled versatility. We sell pumps, power equipment and related fluid handling components and accessories to a wide range of industries. We also produce pressure washers, pumping solutions and component assemblies for our dealer and manufacturing partners. We help our customers with support and advice.

PIG GUIDE 2024 31

CLEANING

HUGH CRANE (CLEANING EQUIPMENT) LTD South Walsham Rd, Acle, Norwich, Norfolk NR13 3ES Tel 01603 603810 Fax 01493 751854 Email sales@commandoequip.co.uk Web www.commandoequip.co.uk

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COMPUTER SOFTWARE

AGROVISION (AGROSOFT LTD)

Unit 16, Yew Tree Court, Earl Soham, Suffolk IP13 7SG Tel 01728 685118 Email j.nesling@agrovision.com Web www.agrovision.com/uk

The UK’s leading pig software provider. Online recording for the modern pig farmer. Serving single and multi-herd businesses for the last 25 years.

Contact us to find out how our PigVision mobile apps and new analytics reporting can help you save time and analyse your herd in more detail.

32 PIG GUIDE 2024

ENERGY

NFU ENERGY

10th Street, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth CV8 2LS Tel 024 7669 6512 Email sales@nfuenergy.co.uk Web www.nfuenergy.co.uk NFU Energy services include an energy helpline, contract finding service, renewable energy solutions, energy efficiency audits and advice, as well as compliance support.

EQUIPMENT

Systems ARATO SYSTEMS LTD

Willow Farm, Mill Lane, Weeley Heath, Clacton On Sea, Essex CO16 9BZ Tel 01255 830288 Mobile 07768 154001 Email david@aratosystems.com Pig Equipment Specialists Design – Supply – Installation – Service ARATO Slurry Saving Pig Drinkers ARATO Push-Fit Plumbing System ARATO Misting, Cooling and Soaking Systems EB Bulk Bins and Auger Systems HI-HEAT Ceramic Strip Heaters, Lamps, Heat Pads ARATO Curtain and Fan Ventilation Systems ZIEHL and HYDOR Fans FARMEX DICAM Ventilation and Heating FARMEX DICAM Alarm and Monitoring Systems ACO and BLIBY Ad-Lib Feeders HAMPSHIRE Wet Feeding Systems ARATO Slurry Valves and Slurry Systems AUFENACKER Plastic Gates and Pen Divisions NEACO Plastic Slatted Flooring ARATO Mill and Mix Systems – Installation and servicing of all makes of new and old systems.

Have Haveyou youever everasked askedyourself... yourself...

Have you ever asked yourself...

• Do I really know what’s in my feed?

• Do I really know what’s in my pig feed?

• Am I paying muchfor for • Am I paying too too much pigfeed? feed?

• Can I use crops?

• Can I usemy my homegrown homegrown crops?

MFarish, SRUC

quality feed on your own farm!

MiMill ll Qu alitymobile on Yo Feed mill Or, use our ur mix Ownservice and Farm!!

We Weoffer: offer...

• Free expert nutrition advice • Free expert nutrition advice • Quality feed made on your farm • Fully automated feed systems • Fully automated feed systems • Expertise in Buschhoff equipment • Expertise in Buschhoff equipment • Feed systems from 100t to 100,000t • Feed systems from 100t to 100,000t • A complete service from design through • A complete service from design through installation to aftersales support installation to aftersales support 01258 830100 830100 01258

enquiries@bwfeeds.com enquiries@bwfeeds.com

www.hsa.org.uk Guidance, advice and practical training in all aspects of humane slaughter, transport, marketing and on-farm killing.

Humane Slaughter Association Caring beyond the farm gate

Registered Charity in England no 1159690 : Charitable Incorporated Organisation

www.bwfeeds.com www.bwfeeds.com

Equipment for the pig industry A FULL RANGE INCLUDING

Chain & Flight and Augers

FEED SYSTEMS

HOPPERS

PANELTIM - PENS, DIVISIONS & GATES

BARROWS

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01359 240529

www.quality-equipment.co.uk

rom

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PIG GUIDE 2024 33

EQUIPMENT

ELECTROVENT

Electronic Control Manufacturer, Unit 42, 266-290 Wincolmlee, Hull HU2 0PZ Tel 01482 216015 After Hours Technical Support 07721 353446 Email sales@electrovent.karoo.co.uk Web www.electrovent.co.uk

B&W FEEDS

Tel 01258 830100 Email enquiries@bwfeeds.com Web www.bwfeeds.com B&W Feeds are the sole UK distributor for Buschhoff static and mobile equipment for on-farm feed production. Complete service provided including design, planning, installation and after sales support.

Also operate fleet of the most modern mobile mill & mix lorries throughout Southern England. Certified with UFAS, NAAC & OF&G with nutritional and technical support provided.

CLARKE BROTHERS LTD

We manufacture a range of Auto/Manual control panels for Fans, Heating, Ventilation, Dusk/Dawn dimmers and temperature alarm systems.

At Electrovent, we take the latest technology and make it simple yet effective so that you can control the environment for your livestock with confidence.

Because we design and build our control systems on a modular basis, we can provide solutions for your individual requirements with little or no charge.

We offer a guarantee for one year and are always on hand to help and advise.

MIST AND School Works, Woodhouses, Failsworth, MIST AND SOAK SYSTEMS MIST AND MIST AND Manchester M35 9WN MIST AND SOAK SYSTEMS SOAK SYS SOAK SOAK SYST SYST Tel 0161 681 4563 Mobile 07970 986955 1. PIGGY SOAK SYST Pig Drinker Fax 0161 683 4317 l Reduces washing time b Pig Drinker 880-ARATO 80-BITE 880-ARATO 80-BITE l Reduces water usage by Email clarkebros2003@yahoo.co.uk Pig Drinker Pig Drinker TRIAL PROVES Pig880-ARATO Drinker l Improved hygiene and 880-ARATO 80-BITE PROVES 80-BITE TRIAL Web www.clarkebros.co.uk 880-ARATO 80-BITE performance ARATOCURTAIN CURTAINSYSTEMS SYSTEMS ARATO TRIAL PROVES Designed to optimise air movement Manufacturers ofTRIAL centrifugal feeding pumps in to optimise air movement PROVES TRIAL PROVES Designed 2. PIGGY MIST SYST WATER SAVING • IN ALL TYPES OF BUILDING • WATER SAVING pumps cast iron and stainless steel, macerator • IN ALL TYPES OF The BUILDING • Pig Guide website now has dedicated l Cleaner pigs Designed to optimise optimise air air movement movement for bi-products, submersible slurryDesigned pumps, to l Cleaner pens to optimise air movement space to promote new products and company WATERSAVING SAVING Designed WATER • IN ALL TYPES OF BUILDING • wrapper stripping machines for bakery waste etc; OF l Improved performance WATER SAVING •• IN TYPES •• IN ALL ALL TYPES OF BUILDING BUILDING news to UK pig producers. Send text (up to ad-lib feeding system; wet mixers; also stocks of Extensive trials showed Pigas Drinker 3.

PIGGY COOL SYST 300 words; images jpegs) to Brian Chester 880-ARATO 80-BITE pvc pipe and fittings etc. Arato 80pigs using PUSHbc@pig-guide.com.

- FIT l Cooler Alerts to new content will pigs bite used 43.67% less l Lower temperatures 50c TRIAL PROVES water than those using • FASTER TO FIT feature on the Pig Guide Facebook page. l Improved performance

PIGGY COOL PIGGY PIGGYCOOL COOL

PIGGY COOL

www.pig-guide.com ARATO CURTAIN CURTAIN SYSTEMS SYSTEMS ARATO CURTAIN SYSTEMS 43.67% ARATO 43.67%

43.67% 43.67% HI-HEAT HI-HEAT

HI-HEAT HI-HEAT

mono-flo nipples.

• CHEAPER TO BUY • NO TOOLS NEEDED

As pig performance us HOUR provide a price comparison against AND A Let 12,000 GUARANTEE was better on the Arato AND A 12,000 HOUR GUARANTEE compression fittings - YOU’LL BE AMAZED drinkers it is reasonable FREE - NO OBLIGATION - DESIGN AND COSTING SERVICE to assume the extra SEND A SKETCH OF YOUR BUILDINGS WITH DIMENSIONS water used with the • HAMPSHIRE AND WE WILL• HAMPSHIRE DESIGN AND QUOTE YOU FOR YOUR DRINKER, WET FEEDING SYSTEMS mono-flo drinker was FEEDING SYSTEMS VENTILATION & ALARM AND A 12,000 HOUR GUARANTEE WATERLINE AND /WET MISTING SYSTEM AS REQUIRED VENTILATION ALARM Systems Limited •ORACO AD-LIB FEEDERS/TROUGHS CONTROL&SYSTEMS AND AA12,000 HOUR GUARANTEE Systems purely wastage.

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SYSTEMS AND ESF SYSTEMS AND AND SYSTEMS AND PLASTIC HOPPERS ESF SPARES PLASTIC HOPPERS WHEEL FEEDERS N APPOINTED SPARES BIGBIG WHEEL FEEDERS APPOINTED

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HAMPSHIRE •••HAMPSHIRE WET FEEDING SYSTEMS HAMPSHIRE WET FEEDING SYSTEMS WET FEEDING SYSTEMS ACO AD-LIB FEEDERS/TROUGHS •••ACO FEEDERS/TROUGHS ACOAD-LIB AD-LIB FEEDERS/TROUGHS

VENTILATION&&ALARM ALARM VENTILATION CONTROLSYSTEMS SYSTEMS VENTILATION & ALARM CONTROL CONTROL SYSTEMS

Willow Farm, Mill Lane, Weeley Heath, Clacton-On-Sea, Essex CO16 9BZ • Reduces washing time by• Email: 50%david@aratosystems.com • Tel: 01255830288 • Mobile: 07768 154001 • Fax: 01255 831532

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34 PIG GUIDE 2024

DIC

VENTILAT CONTROL

EQUIPMENT

FARMEX LTD

EQUIPMENT

PHILLIPS ANIMAL HEALTH LTD

Unit 4, Wyvols Court Farm, Basingstoke Road, Swallowfield, Reading RG7 1WY Tel 0118 988 9093 Email hugh@farmex.co.uk Web www.farmex.co.uk

Boston Road Industrial Estate, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JS Tel 01507 523281 / 527486 Fax 01507 527437 Email info@pahltd.co.uk Web www.pahltd.co.uk

Dicam controls for all ventilation, heating, cooling, alarm and monitoring applications. Remote access via the app, free access to your data, free access to the best technical support available. 44 years of reliable equipment, sound advice and problem solving – plus Barn Report Pro for real-time production management tools putting you in control and turning data into information into knowledge into PROFIT! CALL US.

Phillips Pig Equipment is part of Phillips Animal Health Ltd – a family run business with over 40 years of experience supplying the UK pig industry.

We work with partners from around the world to supply a comprehensive and innovative range of pig equipment, always with a focus on high quality to provide customers with “best in class” products. Our core range includes the Phillips Ad Lib Feeders which set the standard for build quality and longevity, Buvette nipple and bowl drinkers tried and tested on UK farms and the Medi-Gator water doser. We have recently added Meier-Brakenberg’s extensive range of weigh scales and weigh platforms and continue to work with I-TEK to bring an innovative approach to equipment and ventilation for pig buildings.

HINGEROSE LTD

Unit 4 Henson Park, Henson Way, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN16 8PX Tel 01536 461441 Email info@hingerose.co.uk Web www.hingerose.co.uk UK & Ireland partner for the Dosatron range of water powered injectors with over 40 years’ experience in livestock sectors. Dosatron models are used in many applications including medication, supplementation, acidification, biosecurity, water treatment, cleaning & disinfection and more. Units are readily available through our supply network together with a comprehensive range of spare parts & accessories.

All are supported by our excellent technical back up, repair service & advice.

G E BAKER LTD – QUALITY EQUIPMENT

Poplar Business Centre, The Heath, Woolpit, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP30 9RN Tel 01359 240529 Fax 01359 242086 Email info@quality-equipment.co.uk Web www.quality-equipment.co.uk Quality Equipment offers a comprehensive range of equipment for all types of new and refurbished piggeries, including numerous metal and plastic feeders, hoppers and troughs, tote bins and feed barrows, drinkers, plastic and cast-iron slats, Nooyen Balance Floor Farrowing System and Paneltim® plastic panels, gates and divisions.

PIG GUIDE 2024 35

FEEDING

ABN

CARGILL ANIMAL NUTRITION

64 Innovation Way, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6FL Tel 01733 871000 Web www.abn.co.uk

Dalton Airfield Industrial Estate, Dalton, Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 3HE Tel 01845 578125 Fax 01845 578100 Web www.cargill.com/feed / www.provimi.co.uk

ABN is proud to be a leading British manufacturer of pig compound feed, providing both products and complementary solutions to the pig livestock industry. We provide excellence in terms of nutrition, feed formulation and livestock production advice, meeting the varying needs of pig producers. Our knowledge is supported by a history of research and development investment which continues to be essential to our offering for the future.

Cargill Animal Nutrition is a part of Cargill; a family-owned company with more than 150 years’ experience in developing food and feed ingredients.

Working across 70 countries with 155,000 employees, Cargill develops results-oriented nutritional solutions and feeding programmes, helping producers thrive and grow their business.

A-ONE FEED SUPPLEMENTS LTD

Horizon House, Fred Castle Way, Rougham Industrial Estate, Bury St Edmunds IP30 9ND Tel 0330 678 0984 Email info.uk@forfarmers.eu Web www.forfarmers.co.uk

FORFARMERS

North Hill, Dishforth Airfield, Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 3DH Tel 01423 322706 Fax 01423 323260 Web www.a-one.co.uk

A-One Feed Supplements Ltd has now been supplying the Agricultural Industry with nutritional advice, services and products for over 40 years. With a renowned range of young animal feed products for the pig and game feed sectors, complimented with a range of quality premix, concentrates and the renowned full fat soya product Sunlustre for both mono-gastric and ruminant markets.

Keeping quality, integrity and service at the heart of its business, A-One continues to grow in an ever challenging market place.

36 PIG GUIDE 2024

ForFarmers is a leading UK feed manufacturer of livestock nutrition, offering Total Feed solutions through the VIDA range for piglets, NOVA for sows and ULTRA range for finishing pigs. As part of an international business, UK pig producers benefit from group raw material buying, cutting-edge innovation and new product development, all backed by extensive nutritional trials in the UK and Europe.

Quality, high performing products are delivered by a team of local feed specialists and technical experts who are firmly rooted in the needs of UK farming.

Industrial & Commercial | Structural Steelwork | Agricultural & Equestrian Focused on nutrition

Focused on Focused

nutrit

Shufflebottom

nutrition

Buildings for Pig Units + Supply only or supply & erect + Construction all over the UK + Award winning company

01269 831831 enquiry@shufflebottom.co.uk www.shufflebottom.co.uk

Contact us for a free quote

OUR RECRUITMENT SERVICE OFFERS: Facebook “f ” Logo

Facebook “f ” Logo

Permanent staff - no appointment, no fee * Temporary cover - last minute or in advance * Visit our website to discover applicants looking for work!

CMYK / .eps

Holmes Chapel: 01477 536300 Preston: 01772 206200 www.masseyfeeds.co.uk

Holmes Chapel: 01477 536300 ● Preston: 01772

Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .eps

Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .eps

@masseyfeeds @masseyfeeds @masseyfeeds

@masseyfeeds @massey_feeds @masseyfeeds

PIG GUIDE 2024 37

@m

FEEDING

FEEDING SYSTEMS

MASSEY FEEDS LTD

Cranage Mill, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire CW4 8EE Tel 01477 536300 Email enquiries@masseyfeeds.co.uk Web www.masseyfeeds.co.uk Our pig feeds are formulated from high quality ingredients to produce prolific sows with excellent milk yields and fast growing, healthy pigs. Based on the latest research and advances in pig nutrition, our precise formulations ensure all our feeds contain the optimum levels of nutrients to allow pigs to perform to their potential. All our feeds contain balanced levels of essential amino acids vital for lean tissue growth and top-quality carcases.

Backed by our on-farm team, our sow, grower and finisher feeds are designed to be suitable for all systems, delivering exceptional performance.

NEWQUIP LIMITED

NQ House, Conygarth Way, Leeming Bar Business Park, Leeming Bar, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 9EE Tel 01677 428600 Fax 01677 428601 Email enquiries@newquip.co.uk Web www.newquip.co.uk The sole distributor of Big Dutchman pig and poultry equipment for mainland Britain. Newquip supply spare-parts and carry out complete pig installations nationwide. The range includes Liquid or Dry feeding, Ventilation, Heating, Housing equipment and Disposables.

HEALTH

TARGET FEEDS LTD

Brades Road, Prees, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 2DX Tel 01948 880598 Fax 01948 880730 Email sales@targetfeeds.com Web www.targetfeeds.com With 40 years’ experience in producing specialist animal feeds we pride ourselves on delivering excellent customer service whilst maintaining our high standards of nutritional expertise. From ingredients to feed supplements through to finished feeds Target Feeds Limited has the answer.

www.pig-guide.com The Pig Guide website now has dedicated space to promote new products and company news to UK pig producers. Send text (up to 300 words; images as jpegs) to Brian Chester bc@pig-guide.com. Alerts to new content will feature on the Pig Guide Facebook page.

38 PIG GUIDE 2024

BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM ANIMAL HEALTH UK LTD

Ellesfield Avenue, Bracknell RG12 8YS Tel 01344 746957 Email vetenquiries@boehringer-ingelheim.com Web www.boehringer-ingelheim.co.uk, www.prrs.com, www.preventionworks.info Boehringer Ingelheim is the largest independent healthcare company in the world and a leading supplier of swine vaccines globally and in the UK and Ireland, with Enterisol Ileitis, Ingelvac MycoFLEX®, Ingelvac PRRSFLEX®, Reprocyc® PRRS EU and the industry changing Ingelvac CircoFLEX®. Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to providing the unique services producers and veterinarians need to minimise disease transmission, maximise immune response and optimise profitability; helping to shape the future of swine health.

Flying the flag for British agriculture For more information, talk to our team today:

Scan for more

0330 678 0984

www.forfarmers.co.uk/pig

RESPONSE®

Going zinc free? Go with your gut The RESPONSE® range of zinc free piglet diets have been formulated to: 9 Support the development of the immature gut 9 Establish feed intake 9 Drive growth in this key period of the Pig’s life Talk to us for more information on how we can help you make the transition to zinc freew T | +44(0) 1423 322 706 E | info@a-one.co.uk W | www.a-one.co.uk

PIG GUIDE 2024 39

HEALTH

ECO ANIMAL HEALTH

CEVA ANIMAL HEALTH LTD

The Grange, 100 The High Street, Southgate, London N14 6BN Tel 07407 636836 Mob 07407 636836 Fax 020 8447 9292 Email Nick.Butler@ecoanimalhealth.com Web www.ecoanimalhealth.com

Ceva Animal Health is a global company focused on technical product innovation and delivering high quality products to veterinarians and pig producers. Ceva has a full swine vaccine portfolio including DUO®, providing protection against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and PCV2, Coglapix® for App and Progressis® for PRRS. Ceva have a full solution for swine influenza with Respiporc Flu3® and Respiporc FLUpan®. The portfolio also protects against other important diseases with Enteroporc COLI AC®, Salmoporc® and Ecoporc Shiga®.

Services such as The Ceva Lung Program allow analysis of respiratory health aiding in accurate monitoring of farm efficiency and economics. Forceris® is an innovative product, improving convenience for the producer and offering great protection against Iron deficiency anaemia and coccidiosis. Other products in the range include Altresyn® and Pracetam®.

ECO Animal Health strives to provide best in class, scientifically proven, ethical solutions to optimise the health, productivity and wellbeing of pigs. We aim to do this sustainably, working in partnership with veterinarians and livestock producers, bringing value to all by improving animal husbandry around the world. Our UK products include Ecomectin® and Ecozole® wormers for pigs.

Explorer House, Mercury Park, Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire, HP10 0HH Matthew Walters - Swine National Account Manager Email matthew.walters@ceva.com Mobile 07545 734320 Web www.ceva.co.uk

EAST RIDING FARM SERVICES LTD

Pexton House, Pexton Road, Kelleythorpe, Driffield, East Yorkshire, YO25 9FR Tel 01377 249249 Mob 07802 397103 Email erfs@erfs.co.uk Web www.erfs.co.uk

Suppliers of quality animal health products and sundries to the UK pig industry. Offering a next-day national delivery service. Our product range includes AI & scanning; injectable iron & anthelmintics, identification including tattooing, slap marking & tagging; biosecurity & hygiene; protective equipment, clothing & footwear; general farm equipment; moving, handling, pig toys & enrichment; feeders & drinkers; needles, syringes & vaccinators; insect & rodent control; slurry control, water treatment & hygiene; electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, feed supplements & milk replacers.

40 PIG GUIDE 2024

HUVEPHARMA

Huvepharma NV, Uitbreidingstraat 80, B-2600 Antwerp, Belgium Tel 0032 3 288 18 49 Contact Lauren McCallie Mobile 07841 574565 Email lauren.mccallie@huvepharma.com Web www.huvepharma.com HUVEPHARMA® is a fast-growing global pharmaceutical company with a focus on developing, manufacturing and marketing animal health products including veterinary pharmaceuticals, anthelmintics, anticoccidials, feed additives, medicated premixes, and enzymes. Huvepharma production sites are based in Europe and the USA and are committed to product quality and safety control, with major investment in innovative formulations which meet our customers’ requirements.

BRINGING PIGLETS TO A HIGHER LEVEL

TM

A single action for a healthy start

Prevent iron deficiency anaemia and control coccidiosis in one single shot

Don’t undervalue your piglets potential.

Make sure they ALL receive the full dose, everytime!

Ask your veterinarian for more information www.forceris.com Forceris 30 mg/ml + 133 mg/ml suspension for injection for piglets: Active Ingredient: Forceris™ contains Toltrazuril and Iron (III)(as gleptoferron) for the concomitant prevention of iron deficiency anaemia and prevention of clinical signs of coccidiosis (diarrhoea) as well as reduction in oocyst excretion, in piglets in farms with a confirmed history of coccidiosis caused by Cystoisospora suis. Please refer to the product packaging and leaflets for information about side effects, precautions and warnings. Legal Category: UK: POM- V IE: POM .

Further information is available on the SPC. Use medicines responsibly (www.noah.co.uk/responsible). Advice should be sought from your prescribing veterinary surgeon.

For further information contact: CEVA Animal Health, Explorer House, Mercury Park, Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire, HP10 0HH. www.ceva.co.uk

HOUSING

G E BAKER LTD – QUALITY EQUIPMENT

PYRAMID MASTER BUILDINGS (& EQUIPMENT) LTD

“Specialists in Buildings for the Pig Industry” Espersykes Farm, Espersykes Lane, Old Malton, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 6RE Tel 01653 699778 Email enquiries@pyramidltd.co.uk Web www.pyramidltd.co.uk The company’s aim is to provide a quality build that will stand the test of time. No project is too small or too large for Pyramid Master Buildings Ltd. We specialise in the design, manufacture and erection of buildings and supply of equipment for the pig industry. The core business encompasses new build from conception for all stages of pig production. We also offer buildings for self-erect, refurbishment of existing buildings and portable pig units. We have a bespoke in-house design service and would be happy to discuss your requirements.

Poplar Business Centre, The Heath, Woolpit, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP30 9RN Tel 01359 240529 Fax 01359 242086 Email info@quality-equipment.co.uk Web www.quality-equipment.co.uk Quality Equipment’s construction department offers a full range of building services including ‘turnkey’ packages for new housing for sows, weaners, growers and finishers, including planning and groundwork. Our design expertise and thorough knowledge of equipment and systems allows us to offer extensive refurbishment solutions to best utilise existing buildings.

HYGIENE

HUGH CRANE (CLEANING EQUIPMENT) LTD SHUFFLEBOTTOM LTD

Crosshands Business Park, Crosshands, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire SA14 6RE Tel 01269 831831 Email enquiry@shufflebottom.co.uk Shufflebottom Ltd manufacture award winning steel framed buildings for agricultural and industrial uses across the UK and further afield.

42 PIG GUIDE 2024

South Walsham Road, Acle, Norwich NR13 3ES Tel 01603 603810 Fax 01493 751854 Email sales@commandoequip.co.uk web www.commandoequip.co.uk

COMMANDO® quality range of high pressure cleaning machines is ideal for the pig and poultry sectors where arduous duty cycles occur, reliability is important and running costs need to be kept to a minimum. The COMMANDO® machines are easy to operate, powerful, efficient, and comply to BS EN ISO 9001: 2000 accreditation. All are British designed and built, independently powered and designed to be easily transported. A commitment to innovation and investment by Hugh Crane (Cleaning Equipment) Ltd, means that you can be confident that the COMMANDO® range is at the cutting edge of design technology. Full operator training and installation provided. A comprehensive stores facility ensures immediate supply of high pressure cleaning parts and accessories.

11-13 Castlegate, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 7DP

A joined up approach, for a future focused supply chain: Enhancing performance & welfare

Increasing efficiency through proven results

To discover how ABN can be a part of your journey, visit

Maximising your farm’s profitability

abn.co.uk PIG GUIDE 2024 43

IDENTIFICATION

SHEARWELL DATA LIMITED

Putham, Wheddon Cross, Minehead, Somerset TA24 7AS Tel 01643 841611 Fax 01643 841628 Email sales@shearwell.co.uk Web www.shearwell.co.uk

For visual and EID tags for pigs, look no further than Shearwell Data Ltd. We are a family, farmer owned animal identification and software management business, with over thirty years of experi-ence in providing consistent, high-quality products to livestock farmers. Our steel KL3 tag is a reliable form of identification for slaughter pigs. For lifetime tagging, our plastic button and flag tags offer excellent retention rates. Our full product range includes EID readers, recorders, apps and our popular Shearweigh Weigh Head and load bars. We also sell pig tattooing equipment. Call us and quote “The Pig Guide 2024” to get a free beanie hat with your order.

MARKETING

YORKSHIRE FARMERS

11/13 Castlegate, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 7DP Tel 01653 697941 Fax 01653 694489 Email sales@yorkshirefarmers.co.uk Web www.yorkshirefarmers.co.uk Yorkshire Farmers is one of the UK’s leading farmer owned businesses and has been involved in livestock marketing and processing for over 85 years. Our primary aim has always been to get the best return for stock for our trading members, but we also offer a range of other specialist services including support with environmental permits, farm assurance, partial restocks, destocks, genetics, feed, buildings and budgeting. We have a range of options for vertically integrated supply chains and our Bed and Breakfast contract rearing units benefit from our in-house dedicated team of fieldsmen and administration staff.

ORGANISATIONS LABORATORIES

SCI-TECH LABORATORIES

The Grove, Craven Arms, Shropshire, SY7 8DA Tel 01588 672600 Email david.petrie-dolphin@scitech-labs.uk.com Sci-Tech, part of Cawood, provides UKAS accredited services to veterinary and animal health professionals as well as livestock producers throughout the UK and Ireland. Extensive expertise and high-quality services encompassing serological, water and PCR testing services across poultry, bovine and porcine production makes Sci-Tech one of the UK’s leading specialist microbiology laboratories.

44 PIG GUIDE 2024

AHDB PORK

Middlemarch Business Park, Siskin Parkway East, Coventry, West Midlands CV3 4PE Tel 02476 692051 Email pork.info@ahdb.org.uk Web www.ahdb.org.uk/pork Facebook @AHDBPork Twitter @AHDB_Pork The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board is a statutory levy board funded by farmers and others in the supply chain to be a critical enabler, positively influence outcomes, allowing farmers and others in the supply chain to be competitive, successful and share good practice. We equip levy payers with easy-to-use products, tools and services to help them make informed decisions and improve business performance.

ORGANISATIONS

HUMANE SLAUGHTER ASSOCIATION

The Old School, Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire AL4 8AN Tel 01582 831919 Email info@hsa.org.uk Web www.hsa.org.uk

The HSA is a UK-based, independent Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) that works through training, research and promoting technical advances to help the industry maintain high standards of animal welfare during transport, marketing and slaughter (including emergency killing on-farm).

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

RECRUITMENT

ROADHOGS RECRUITMENT LTD

Tel 0800 999 3655 Mob 07912 864646 Email enquiries@roadhogsrecruit.co.uk Web www.roadhogsrecruit.co.uk

Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd. have been helping British and international pig farmers to recruit staff since 1990. Our knowledgeable team has sourced many permanent staff of all abilities for our farmers and secured numerous careers for our applicants. We are the only pig farming recruiters in the UK offering a permanent and temporary relief cover service. www.facebook.com/RoadhogsStaffingSolutions

SLURRY

G AND V TAIT

Tel 07900 605349 Email info@gandvtait.com Web www.gandvtait.com G and V Tait, a Chartered Surveying practice, specialises in valuations and land agency services for the pig industry. Director George Tait, a farmer and RICS registered valuer, offers independent valuations for tax, accounting, and business restructures. The practice also facilitates the disposal and acquisition of pig units, buildings, and equipment, making them a valuable partner for pig business planning and transitions.

A-CONSULT LTD

The Barn, Manor Business Park, East Drayton, Retford, Nottinghamshire DN22 0LG Mobile 07970 449221 Tel 01777 249444 Fax 01777 248452 Email info@aconsult.co.uk Web www.agri-tank.com A-Consult specialises in providing solutions for the storage and handling of liquids and slurry for the agricultural sectors. Established in 1986, we have successfully installed over 7,500 tank structures throughout the UK and Europe.

PIG GUIDE 2024 45

SLURRY

STORTH LTD

CE PROJECTS LIMITED

Unit 11-12, Llewellyn Roberts Way, Maer Lane Industrial Estate, Market Drayton, Shropshire, TF9 1QS. Tel 01630 653771 Email elaine@ceprojectsltd.co.uk Web www.ceprojectsltd.co.uk The only Company to contact for Slurry & Effluent Treatment. We pride ourselves on our reputation.

We manufacture, supply, install, service and repair your slurry separators, pumps, stores, mixers, flush systems and much more. We have been supplying the pig industry for over 18 years with most parts in stock, we won’t let you down.

Stoneleigh Park, Station Road, Holme, Nr Carnforth, Lancashire LA6 1HR Tel 01524 781900 Email sales@storthmachinery.co.uk Web www.storthmachinery.co.uk EXPERTS IN SLURRY MANAGEMENT. We have the solution to assist and resolve your slurry problems with scrapers, pumps, stores, separators, mixers and application systems. British manufactured, fully galvanised machinery with full product support.

We can also design and produce bespoke machinery and systems to suit your requirements and have a well-stocked parts department.

WATER & IRRIGATION

HUGH PEARL (LAND DRAINAGE) LTD

New Farm, Bobbingworth, Ongar, Essex CM5 0DJ Tel 01277 890 274 Fax 01277 890 322 Email admin@hughpearl.co.uk Web www.hughpearl.co.uk

STORE IT

With over 60 years of experience, Hugh Pearl are the right choice to solve your drainage problems.

Specialising in providing a design and construction service for: land drainage, ditching and water supply; reservoirs for irrigation, effluent disposal, fishing and amenity; and pipeline reinstatement land drainage.

www.pig-guide.com

Tel: 01524 781900 | sales@storthmachinery.co.uk

www.storthmachinery.co.uk

46 PIG GUIDE 2024

The Pig Guide website now has dedicated space to promote new products and company news to UK pig producers. Send text (up to 300 words; images as jpegs) to Brian Chester bc@pig-guide.com. Alerts to new content will feature on the Pig Guide Facebook page.

Safe.

Safe.

Practical.

Practical.

Affordable.

Affordable.

www.agri-tank.com

www.agri-tank.com

The ConCreTe SoluTion The ConCreTe SoluTion Primary Features of the Agri-Tank: Primary Features of the Agri-Tank: • 50 years design life

Primary Features of the Agri-Tank: • 60 years of design • Above belowlife ground installations • Above of below ground • Capacities ranging frominstallations 40,000 to • 1,500,000 60 yearsranging designfrom life 40,000 to • Capacities gallons •• NoAbove of below ground installations maintenance highly durable 1,500,000 gallons • EPDM Capacities 40,000 to jointingranging gasket • No maintenance highly from durable 1,500,000 gallons • Rapid installation, typically 1-2 days EPDM jointing gasket • No maintenance highly durable • Openings in panels to • Rapid installation, typically 1-2 days accommodate inlets, EPDM in jointing gasket • Openings panels to outlets or through the wall mixers.

• Rapid installation, typically accommodate inlets, outlets or 1-2 days • Covers – Sluice Valves to – Gantrys – Mixers • Openings in panels through the wall mixers. and Filling pipes can all be supplied with accommodate inlets, outlets or the tanks through the wall mixers. please All enquiries contact Jason Parker All enquiries T. 01777 249444 please contact Jason Parker M. 07970 449221 T. 01777 249444 E. jp@aconsult.co.uk M. 07970 449221 E. jp@aconsult.co.uk

Slurry Storage Slurry Storage

HughMcClymont McClymont hugh Farm Manager, Scottish Agricultural College Farm Manager, Scottish Agricultural College “The robust construction of the Agri-Tank hugh McClymont “The robust construction thefilled, Agri-Tank allows the structure to be of back which Farm Manager, Scottish Agricultural Colleg allows the structure be back which in turn enabled us totolocate bothfilled, our tanks “The robust construction of the Agri-Tank optimum locations on theboth farm.” in at turn enabled us to locate our tanks at allowsBarrow the structure to farm.” be back filled, which optimum locations on the Robert in turn enabled us to locate both our tanks Helm Farm, Appleby “Competitive when compared to steel tanks optimum locations on the farm.” robert Barrow but with twice the design life - I am looking

Helm Farm, Appleby forward to 50 years maintenance-free robert Barrow “Competitive when compared to steel tanks slurry storage.”

Helm Farm,the Appleby but with twice design life - I am looking Richard Ford “Competitive when compared to steel tank forward to 50Farm years maintenance-free Maythorne but with twice the design life - I am looking “Speed of construction was impressive, slurry storage.” forward to 50 years maintenance-free top quality product.” slurryFord storage.” richard Maythorne Farm richard Ford “Speed of construction was impressive, Maythorne Farm top quality product.”

“Speed of construction was impressive, top quality product.”

NOTES

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50 PIG GUIDE 2024

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OPTIMISING ON-FARM FEED PRODUCTION Always current advice

Vilofoss use the latest knowledge from across Europe to optimise feed composition to achieve optimum nutritional and economic performance based on the individual conditions on the farm. ● Individually tailored feed to the individual herd ● Feeds formulated using on-farm ingredients ● Balanced with vitamins, minerals and amino acids ● Formulating feed to future demands of food safety and focussing on the reduction of antibiotic/Zinc use

part of

Newcastle Disease Virus

Campylobacter jéjuni

Salmonella spp.

• Effectively controls bacteria, fungi, viruses, worm eggs, parasites and fly larvae • Reduces ammonia • Absorbs moisture

Streptococcus spp.

Ascaridia galli

The ORIGINAL dry hygiene solution

Fly Larvae

Coccidia

PEDV

E. coli Clostridium perfringens

Scan to find out more...

Staphylococcus spp.

Effective against...