BPEX Weekly: 3 June 2011

Marketing News

Top Award for Selby Butcher

“An outstanding pie, like no other I’ve tasted!” This was the comment from a panel of consumer judges that awarded Selby-based butchers JA Mounfield & Son the National Champion title at the BPEX Regional Roadshow Final for 2010/2011.

The team from Mounfield's was delighted to pick up the award – an original watercolour painting of a Gloucester Old Spot pig – for its 1lb ‘Traditional Pork Pie’ at the prestigious ceremony.

The presentation was made at Butchers’ Hall where the seven regional champions from the 2010/2011 tour gathered to receive a limited edition commemorative print of the painting, before the overall title was announced.

Keith Fisher, BPEX butchery and product development manager, said: “This has been an exciting culmination of another incredibly successful year for the BPEX butcher roadshow.

"We saw hundreds of butchers on our travels around the country and an extraordinary amount of top quality products come through for evaluation.”

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Be a Tweet

In just five years Twitter has become a social media phenomenon.  But ignore it at your peril, for it is a fantastic communication and marketing tool that can have a positive impact on your business.

As more and more independent retailers take to ‘tweeting’ here is a simple guide to help you get started. Click here to download

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Choose It and Use It

With recipes donated from eight high profile celebrities and chefs, the Choose It and Use It book has been produced to highlight to consumers the current plight of pig farmers. 

Also featuring eight pig farmers and their messages to consumers, it is sure to capture the interest of the media and consumers alike. 

One of the celebrities, Christine Hamilton, will also be promoting the booklet via a number of regional radio interviews on 16 June. 

Currently the book is still being printed and copies will be available towards the end of next week, but for a sneak preview, click here.

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Knowledge Transfer

Tip of the Week: Water

Contaminated water can affect the health of pigs; water intake also affects feed intake and subsequent growth of pigs. Before bringing in a new batch of pigs, fit a peg to the drinkers to allow fresh water to run through the pipes.

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Don't Forget Your Boars

The latest factsheet in the Action for Productivity series - Heat Stress in Boars - has just been printed and is available to download from the BPEX website or in hard copy.

It includes guidelines on how to look after your boars (both indoors and outdoors) during periods of hot weather in order to minimise the risk of heat stress and subsequent problems with infertility.

To request a copy contact Clancy Smith on 02476 478 792 or email kt@bpex.org.uk.

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Alternative Bedding

Have you got experience of using alternatives to straw as bedding material for your pigs?

We’d like to hear what you have found works as a good alternative, and what hasn’t! Email kt@bpex.org.uk with your experience or visit the blog and add your comments.

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Raise Awareness of Dysentery

This event is suitable for everyone who manages, owns or works with pigs. Richard Pearson of George Vet Group will be raising awareness of swine dysentery (SD) and discussing the facts, specifically relating to the South.

Mike Wijnberg will be talking about the lessons learned from the East and what positive impacts they have had on SD.

Katrin Turvey of BPEX will explain the SD Charter and things you can do to reduce risk tomorrow. The workshop is taking place on Monday 13 June at Newbury Rugby Club, starting at 6:00pm with a buffet.

To book your place please contact Katrin Turvey on 07816 939130.

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One-stop Shop for AD

Anaerobic digestion (AD) reduces waste and produces renewable energy but information on AD can be confusing or spread over different organisations and websites.

For producers and businesses looking for clear and concise information, England's Official Information Portal on Anaerobic Digestion, www.biogas-info.co.uk brings together all the information about AD onto one website.

The new AD Portal saves users time because it brings together access to the essential introductory information as well as details of where to find specialist advice. Some of the most interesting and useful tools the website offers include:

• Biogas Map – a tool which displays active anaerobic digestion plants in the UK
• AD Calculator - lets you assess the economics of AD facilities.

The AD Portal was developed by The National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC).

For more information contact Dr. Alison Hamer, 01904 435182 or a.hamer@nnfcc.co.uk

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Pig Producers Congress

The annual European Pig Producers Congress took place on 19-21 May in Munster, Germany.

Helen Clarke (BPEX health team) was accompanied by 11 British pig producers and allied industry representatives at the three day event, along with 300 participants from 13 European countries.

The event was a great opportunity to learn about the local pig production and its role in European trade, the growth and development of the slaughter and food retail industries, as well as discussion on animal health and welfare policies.

An excursion programme gave insight into various locally-based businesses including slaughterhouses, feed and equipment suppliers and farms. Presentations from the congress can be found by clicking here.

Helen said “Pig producers across England would really benefit from being able to see and share the challenges and innovations that our European counterparts are experiencing.

It would be great if more pig producers came to next year’s congress which will take place in Lithuania.” Anyone interested in becoming a member of EPP should contact Ian Campbell at unitron@btinternet.com.

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National News:

Produce More With Less Impact

Producing more food while impacting less on the environment presents the biggest challenge in establishing an efficient and effective use of our ecosystems and services, the NFU said after today’s publication of the National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) report.

The NEA, the first UK-wide assessment of ecosystem services and the state of the natural environment since 1945, also sets out a number of future scenarios and looks at possible policies and practices that might have to be put in place to protect ecosystems in the future.

NFU chief environment adviser Dr Diane Mitchell said: “There will be a need for us to produce more food but with three-quarters of the UK land area in agricultural management we recognise that farmers and growers carry a unique responsibility for managing the countryside.

“We are keen to demonstrate that food production and managing additional ecosystem services that the natural environment provides, such as biodiversity, can go hand in hand. We hope that the publication of the NEA helps move the debate on to how we can produce more but impact less.”

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Importance of China

Highlighting the importance of the Chinese market, BPEX sent two missions to China in May.

The British stand at the CAHE animal breeding exhibition in Qindao in conjunction with the British Pig Association was attended by the five main British pig breeders. 

This also included a presentation of British genetics to the Global Pig Forum which took place before the fair.

China is the major area of development for British genetics and a number of large developments are taking place.  The main four pork processors representing 70% of UK pork throughput attended the CIMIE meat exhibition in Beijing organised as part of a 20-strong group, the largest ever to go to China from the meat and livestock sector.

This event is particularly relevant as the UK now has direct access to the Chinese market. The pig world is increasingly linked to China. Half the world pork is already produced there and the Far East will provide 70% of the 1.9% production growth in years to come, with China and, to a lesser extent, Vietnam providing the bulk of the extra pigs.

BPEX head of Export Jean-Pierre Garnier said: “ The British pig industry has ambitious sales objectives for China, the largest market in the world, and our presence at the Global Pig Forum and the CAHE exhibition is an important step in achieving these objectives.“

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Soaring Electronic Movements

Almost one fifth of all farm-to-slaughter movements in England and Wales are now recorded electronically using eAML2. The number of electronic movements to slaughter has risen quickly, from under 10% in March, since the system was rolled out nationally in England and Wales at the start of April.

Apart from all the large specialist plants there are now more than 60 abattoirs enabled for eAML2 and there are more to come online.

Also, more than 80% of completed movement details reach Defra’s animal movement licensing database within three days or less.

It is reassuring for producers to know that, once all movements are recorded using eAML2, the industry will have a strong handle on pigs’ whereabouts in the event of a disease outbreak. The current paper-based system can take up to three weeks for completed documents to reach the national database.

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Pig Farmers Penalised

The United Kingdom government has confirmed to supply chain investigators that British pig farmers are not receiving a fair share of the price.

Its remarks are contained in a study undertaken for the European Commission into the European meat processing industry.

The study notes that British retailers are ruthless and as a result there is a time-lag before producer prices rise to meet increased costs.

Defra told investigators that in 2007 the rise of animal feed costs resulted in a rise of 20 per cent in pig meat production costs for farmers, but a rise of only three per cent for processors and 4 percent for retailers.

This means the spread between retail and the producer price narrowed, but with primary producers carrying more of the burden of increased production costs.

Quoting NPA data, the study says: "There is hardly any direct communication between farmers and retailers because they deal mainly with processors. Therefore, farmers need to squeeze their prices based on the arguments given to them by processors which, in most cases, is the increasing price pressure by retailers."

(Source: NPA)

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£12m For Training

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has now formally announced the way in which the £12 million for Advanced Training Partnerships in Agri-Food is to be allocated.

This is significant new funding and a completely different way for BBSRC to engage in training – the agenda is set by the requirements of industry for high level post-graduate skills and training.

Two of the four consortia are of potential interest to the pig industry:

Establishment of a strategic training hub for the advancement of the UK agri–food industry.

Led by the University of Nottingham with Harper Adams University College, Cranfield University, Rothamsted Research and a number of industrial partners.

Advanced training in intensive livestock health and production

Led by the Royal Veterinary College with University of Cambridge, University of Newcastle, University of Edinburgh and a number of industrial partners. For more information, click here.

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Dingley Dell's a Winner

Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, of the Hand and Flowers pub and restaurant in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, has won the main dish competition in television's Great British Menu programme for the second year running.

He is a big fan of Dingley Dell pork from Mark and Paul Hayward's outdoor pig unit in Suffolk. His winning dish featured belly and trotters and other cuts — and the judges adored it.

He is pictured here (centre) with Mark Hayward (right) and Tom Roberts, sales director of catering butchers Direct Meats.

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Re-assess Slurry Storage Now

Pig producers within Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) are urged to re-assess the amount of slurry storage they require, based on projected pig numbers. From 1 January 2012, pig producers will require six months worth of storage to comply with regulations.

Producers are advised to plan storage around:

• spreading windows
• cropping patterns
• quantities exported off the farm, especially if to fields outside NVZs.

This may mean, in reality, more than six months storage may be required.

Some existing stores can be extended or new ones built.

The BPEX online NVZ calculator will calculate monthly storage requirements. Go to: www.bpexenv.org.uk and click on the NVZs button in the bottom left corner. For more information and advice contact Nigel Penlington: 02476 478 797.

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Muck Analysis at Cereals

There is another opportunity to find out about the muck analysis technique now available to help farmers make better use of the nutrients in manure and slurry.

Anyone going to Cereals event in Lincolnshire can call in at the HGCA stand for more information about Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS). It is an innovative muck analysis technique that will help farmers analyse the nutrient content of manures rapidly and accurately, at a lower cost than before.

Manures and slurries can make a major contribution towards grass and cereal crop nutrient requirements. Manures can also make a positive contribution to the bottom line, rather than being a cost burden, as the benefits of better nutrient management help offset the storage and spreading costs.

BPEX is a partner in the Defra LINK-funded project that developed the technique, which also included ADAS and other AHDB sectors HGCA, EBLEX, DairyCo and Potato Council.

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Latest BPHS Dates

Assessment dates for January to June 2011 in all participating abattoirs have been published and are available on the BPEX website.

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Importance of Farm Safety

Most people in farming know of at least one person who has suffered from significant injury or worse as a result of an accident on a farm. The combined impact of these accidents mean that farming is one of the most dangerous industries in England.

A range of industry partners have come together to dedicate June as a month to improve safety levels on farms across the East of England by running a series of events during the month to ensure that farm managers and farm workers are able to reduce the risks entailed through working on farms. For a list of events click here.

To book a place on one of these workshops, which are open to farm staff, managers, contractors, agricultural students, young farmers and farmers’ families please call Bridgette Hall on 01603 748844 (ext 4), or email landskills@easton.ac.uk

Also, click here to download ‘Health and Safety for Pig Keepers’. Anna Davis and Colin Stone from BPEX will both be attending the event at Easton College on 7 June 2011.

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International News:

Farm Council Results

An informal farm council has been held in Hungary with two main items on the agenda: sustainable animal husbandry future and present and the E-Coli outbreak.

Some interesting outcomes emerged from the discussions:

On animal Husbandry:

The Council and Commission acknowledge that animal husbandry is a very important sector for the EU (it represents about half the value of total EU agriculture). Sadly enough this sector has experienced great difficulties lately, especially the dairy and pig sector.

At the farm Council, there was a general agreement that more attention needs to be put on this sector than so far. Therefore, any proposal from the Commission relating to the future of the CAP should put a special emphasis on animal husbandry. The future CAP package will have to include adapted market measures to support both producers and processors and measures to increase price transparency as well as mechanism to support promotion of animal product both on the internal market and in third countries.

On the pig sector

The Council was presented conclusions from the advisory group on pigmeat and the Commission should come back with specific proposals "very soon".

On CAP reform

Regarding direct payments, the idea is that MS will receive a minimum percentage of the EU average payment and calculations of direct payments will be based on objective criteria relating to the economic, environmental and territorial contributions of agriculture.

The legislative package is due to be published by the Commission in early October.

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ASF Threat Grows

Warning of a likely imminent upsurge of African Swine Fever in the Caucasus region and Russian Federation has been issued and the FAO has called on affected countries to step up precautionary measures and for a concerted international effort to prevent the infection spreading more widely across the Northern Hemisphere.

 “ASF is fast becoming a global issue,” said Juan Lubroth, FAO’s Chief Veterinary Officer. “It now poses an immediate threat to Europe and beyond. Countries need to be on the alert and to strengthen their preparedness and contingency plans.”

Measures recommended for countries by FAO include risk analyses to evaluate the situation and assess potential consequences. Such analyses should pave the way for fully-fledged contingency plans and provide the rationale for selecting disease-control strategies.

Importantly, there is currently no vaccine for the disease, which is very often lethal to pigs but is not harmful to humans.

(Source: The Pig Site)

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International Prices

For the latest international prices, click here.

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