Pigs News

The Royal Agricultural Society of England is delighted to announce that its flagship event, the British Pig & Poultry Fair, will be moving to a new venue at the NEC for 2024 and beyond.

Sister and brother Beth and Luke Wilkinson from North Yorkshire took home both the championship and reserve titles during a memorable finale at the 2022 English Winter Fair.

The four councils, Beef & Lamb, Cereals & Oilseeds, Dairy and Pork, have published sector plans as part of a commitment to outline how the levy will be invested over the next five years.

Dover Port Health Authority has confirmed it seized 2.5 tonnes of illegal pork products from 22 vehicles checked over a single weekend at the beginning of October. The discovery occurred during a multi-agency exercise at the port – part of the work to reduce the risk of African swine fever entering the country.

AHDB’s latest figures show cost of production remains high, with pig producers now losing an average of £18-20 per pig slaughtered.

The post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) vaccine Coliprotec can prevent the disease in nearly 60% of pig herds, UK diagnostic testing data has shown.

The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) said Defra’s recently launched consultation focuses on too small a part of the pork supply chain and ignores many of the complexities that contributed to the recent crisis in the pig sector.

The government is inviting pig farmers, abattoirs, processors, retailers, marketing groups and other stakeholders to submit their views to a UK-wide review of the pig sector.

Temporary control zones have been revoked but testing is ongoing at the site.

New figures reported by AHDB show the amount of antibiotic used to treat pigs on UK farms in 2021 fell by 17%, bringing the total reduction since 2015 to 69%.

Temporary restrictions have been placed around the premises after suspicion of vesicular disease in pigs.

As farmers face ongoing recruitment problems, price rises and regulatory changes, Chris Beamish, chief operating officer at Greengage Agritech, explores robust technology that can be incorporated into the farm’s existing set up, improving welfare, efficiency and profitability.