Looking for the Good News

Pig producers across the globe seem to be having a hard time, according to a series of recent reports.

In the US, pork production on July totalled 1.64 billion pounds, which is four per cent less than last year. The number of hogs slaughter was 8.16 million head, also four per cent fewer than July 2010. The average live weight was down one pound from the previous year, at 268 pounds.

Dutch pig producers seem to be in dire straits. Rising feed prices have meant farmers are unable to make the substantial investments needed to meet stricter European environmental and animal welfare regulations. Farmers have been unable to pass on their rising costs to slaughterhouses because there are still too many pigs on the market.

Each year, about five per cent of pig farms close down but the sector organisation says the number for this year could be as high as 10 per cent.

In the UK, processors are dropping the prices they offer to slaughter pig producers.

On the bright side, improved pig health and welfare could easily be worth as much as £25 million a year to the British industry, according to BPEX. An extra 50g weight gain per day as a result of improved health would return between £2.00 and £3.50 per pig or between between £15 and £25 million a year.

BPEX has just produced a new health and welfare strategy with support from across the industry. It was launched by the country's Chief Veterinary Officer at a press conference in London last week.

20:20 Pig Health and Welfare builds on the success of the first strategy launched at the end of 2003.

It aims to change completely the way endemic pig diseases are managed, mitigated and controlled across the country.

BPEX Chairman, Stewart Houston, commented: "Improving the health and welfare of pigs is of paramount importance to all of those involved in the industry in England.

"It affects our cost of production, our ability to compete in a highly competitive EU market, our impact on the environment, the safety of the food we produce, our responsibility to the animals in our care, our reputation as a producer of high welfare pork, bacon, ham and other pork products and ultimately our ability to produce a secure supply of food in an increasingly volatile world.

"Despite the progress we have already made we remain behind many of our immediate competitors on key measures of efficiency. Improving pig health is key to closing this competitiveness gap," said Mr Houston.

BPEX Interim Head of Research and Development, Derek Armstrong, put his finger on the key to the future success of the strategy. He said: "The really encouraging part is that there are a lot of organisations committed to working together to deliver a coherent vision of health and welfare."