Meryl Ward is new BPEX chair

Lincolnshire pig farmer Meryl Ward has been chosen as an Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) board member and chairman of the British Pig Executive (BPEX). Ward is replacing Stewart Houston, who has stepped down.
The position is a U.K. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) ministerial appointment.
Ward and her husband Steve farm more than 2,000 acres in North Lincolnshire. The farm is split into two enterprises, the arable farm which has a mixed cropping of potatoes, cereals, sugar-beet and oilseed rape. The other enterprise is indoor pig farming and the farm has recently invested in anaerobic digesters to utilize farmyard manure and arable crops to produce electricity and heat to power the farm.
They also operate Uncle Henry’s Farm shop, opened in September 2006 incorporating a farm shop, café and conference facilities. The shop and café showcase produce from the farm including home reared pork, potatoes and vegetables.
Ward was awarded an MBE for the improvement of pig welfare and was for many years a member of the Farm Animal Welfare Council (now committee) chairing the major report ‘Farm Animal Welfare: Health and Disease’.
In 2010 she was presented with the David Black Award, the highest honor the industry can bestow, for her ‘important and sustained contribution to the pig industry’.
Ward was a co-founder of the British Pig Industry Support Group, a selector for Nuffield Scholarships and a BPEX board member. She currently chairs the Lincolnshire Rural Support Network
Speaking about her appointment, she said: “I am extremely excited by the opportunities for market development, innovation and growth for the industry, and look forward to working with AHDB staff and board members to make this a reality for the pig sector. 
“The English pig industry is renowned for its high welfare and environmental standards, and has a committed quality supply chain and customer base. AHDB has a central role to play to support and enhance their work, and I intend to make sure that we make the most of every opportunity for English pig producers and processors.”
BPEX is the organization for pig levy payers in England and is a division of AHDB.

BPEX using thermal imaging to assess pig housing

The British Pig Executive (BPEX) is now using thermal imaging to help assess the condition of pig housing as part of its “closing the gap” strategy.
“The consequences of poor ventilation and thermal management can have a huge effect on pig development, health and behavior,” said Thomas Burling, BPEX building and environment business support.
“For this reason, BPEX has invested in a thermal imaging camera, and the environment team has been trained how to use it out on-farm to map heat energy loss from pig buildings while monitoring housing conditions.”
He adds that the camera has already been trialed successfully in farm situations and has highlighted areas of housing with defective insulation, 'thermal bridges' and draughts.
“The camera is most efficient when there are big differentials in temperature. Therefore, we’re encouraging anyone interested in thermal imaging of their buildings to get in touch with us as soon as possible if they’d like to arrange a visit during this winter period.
“While the camera doesn’t hold the answer to the problem, it helps identify the issues which can often have complex causes. And, once identified, we can then discuss any issues with producers to help them better understand their housing.
“Ideally, we want producers to be better informed in order to make decisions or discuss improvements with potential suppliers.”
Burling adds that the key goal of the work is to improve pig production efficiencies and the health and welfare of the livestock on a unit. “If issues can be resolved it should also improve on-farm energy efficiency and ultimately reduce energy bills and carbon emissions,” said Burling.

British pork checkoff agency to change name to AHDB Pigs

Britain’s version of a pork checkoff agency will have a new name, effective the middle of 2015.
Known currently as BPEX from its roots as the British Pig Executive, it is the division of the national Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) that focuses on enhancing the competitiveness, efficiency and profitability of pig levy payers in England and driving demand for British pork both within the UK and internationally. 
An announcement from the AHDB headquarters has revealed that each of the operating divisions will be rebranded in 2015 under the AHDB name. From mid-2015 this means that the BPEX brand will disappear as the agency adopts its new name of AHDB Pigs.
Other agencies will also undergo name changes. Under the branding changes, DairyCo becomes AHDB Dairy, EBLEX becomes AHDB Beef & Lamb, HDC becomes AHDB Horticulture, HGCA becomes AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds and Potato Council becomes AHDB Potatoes.
AHDB Chairman Peter Kendall said: “This is an important step forward for AHDB as we move towards our aim of looking, feeling and behaving as one organization.
“Coming together under one simplified brand can help AHDB increase our influence on behalf of our levy payers. This will ensure we are in a better position to make the most of future industry opportunities.”

Pig diseases can be monitored via oral fluids on cotton rope

• Giving pigs cotton ropes to chew on could be a more cost-effective and stress-free way for pig producers to monitor their herds for diseases like porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus, according to a three-year research project.
  By taking oral fluid samples from the rope, pig producers and veterinarians can assess the health status of their animal in a non-invasive way, Lorna Dawson, a PhD. student involved in a research project sponsored by the British Pig Executive (BPEX).
  “By collecting oral fluid samples I could screen more animals than was physically possible when carrying out blood sampling,” Dawson told Farmers Weekly.
  Sample collection was performed by suspending a cotton rope over a pen for the pigs to chew, using methods that were initially established at Iowa State University.
  Deposited oral fluid samples were then checked for specific disease markers such as viral RNA and antibodies, allowing the early diagnosis of specific diseases at the subclinical or clinical stage.
  “This suggests that the use of oral fluid is potentially a feasible, low cost, non-invasive way to assess the disease status in pig populations,” said Dawson.
  Dawson added that this non-invasive way of testing is better from an animal welfare perspective.

BPEX export prospects targeted in upcoming activities

The British Pig Executive (BPEX) is stepping up its export drive with visits to Hong Kong, India and the Philippines in the next few weeks. On top of that, a health certificate has now been agreed with the Dominican Republic which is another market that can now be developed.
The first is a restaurant and bar show in Hong Kong at the beginning of September, where Export Marketing Executive Jonathan Eckley said the focus will be on high value pork products.
At the end of the month, BPEX will be putting in an appearance at Annapoorna World of Food being held in Mumbai.
Eckley said: “This is a bit of a toe in the water as it is our first visit to India. Potentially it is an extremely good market for pork as the demand is growing at 14 percent a year so there is great scope.
“We are also mounting a trade mission to the Philippines in conjunction with UK Trade and Industry to identify importers and distributors keen to to take British meat.
“We already have a health certificate so that gives us access to a market of 100 million people. The forecasts are that the Philippines economic growth will continue.
“We have also just received a health certificate for the Dominican Republic which means we can now export there. This is something we have been working on for some time.”
BPEX is the organisation for pig levy payers in England and is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

BPEX Innovation Conference videos available online

Presentations along with the videos of all the speakers from the BPEX Innovation Conference are now available for those who were unable to attend the conference or people who would like to revisit the information presented during the conference. The event, held on June 24 at Stoneleigh, UK, attracted almost 200 people and focused on pig feed and the interpretation of data.
The morning session looked at topics such as potential future pig feed, feed blending and how plant breeding might impact on feed.
In the afternoon, the focus was on data and more importantly the interpretation of that data. Two of the presentations looked specifically at problems producers had encountered and how the interpretation of data had helped identify and solve them.
Conference organizer Miriam Drewett said: “Having access to both presentations and videos of the speakers will be of great help to those who were unable to attend.”
The British Pig Executive (BPEX) is the organization for pig levy payers in England and is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

BPEX launching TV campaign to educate about Red Tractor pork scheme

A three-week television campaign is being run by BPEX explaining what the Red Tractor pork scheme is all about. There will be a documentary-style advert for pork running January 22 through February 16, fronted by Jimmy Doherty.
"This is a great opportunity to raise awareness of Red Tractor as a whole as well as specifically for pork," said Kristy Walker, BPEX head of marketing. "The timing of the TV burst is also very important in view of the current differential between domestic and European prices.
"It is important to explain what the Red Tractor stands for and to ask people to think about their choice and look for the logo when they are shopping for pork and pork products. We are aware of the risks of the pig market taking a down turn in the January and we are running these adverts at this time to increase the profile of pork and understanding of the Red Tractor mark."
The campaign has been developed to engage consumers with the Red Tractor mark and begin to build loyalty at a critical time for pig farmers, pork processors and retailers who support Red Tractor pork. In addition to the television campaign, there will also be supporting public relations activity.
In the advertisements, Doherty urges audiences to "Trust The Tractor," providing context around the Red Tractor mark so that consumers understand its importance and purchase responsibly produced pork with confidence.
The 30-second "Trust The Tractor" television ad will be supported by a host of online content, in which Doherty credibly articulates the benefits of the Red Tractor assurance scheme.
A series of three online videos will be hosted on the Channel 4 website while 30 second ads for films will run on 4oD, appearing before food and factual programs with prompts to click through to the full length versions. Online banner advertising will also run throughout the 4oD website.

UK pig farmers testing new ideas, equipment

UK pig farmers are trying out new production ideas and testing swine equipment through grants from the BPEX Innovation Fund.
The growth maximization study conducted by D.C. & R.J. Allen & Partners is trialing two specially designed weighing crates linked to a PC, one placed in a weaner pen (8-25kg) and the other one placed in a grower pen (25-55kg) and then subsequently a finisher pen, to monitor the real-time daily growth, performance fluctuations from ration changes or other pen stresses.
Through monitoring pig growth on a real-time basis the trial aims to assess how the changes in ration affect daily growth throughout the three stages of production,  enabling rations and feeding strategies to be adapted accordingly.
The evaluation of a short-bolt captive stunner is establishing a practical, mechanical and repeatable method of humanely dispatching casualty pigs from 5kg to 20kg to prevent further avoidable distress to all concerned. The trial seeks to evaluate the use of the short-bolt system for both ease of operation, safety, and effective humane euthanasia of piglets from 5-20kg.
To find alternative methods of delivering fresh clean water to outdoor sows conducted by BQP is researching methods of offering water to outdoor sows. Additional benefits include always providing clean fresh water, rather than a wallow trough which can become contaminated. This project will demonstrate how an alternative method of delivering water to outdoor sows can improve conception rates, live piglets and weaning weights in outdoor sows.

Practical pig app features videos that demonstrate farm management techniques

BPEX has launched a free Practical Pig app for smartphones or tablet computer users that shows videos of pig farm management techniques.
"It's an exciting new tool for the pig industry, using the visual power of videos to demonstrate important everyday tasks - and what's great is that managers and stockmen can use the app while they're out and about on farm," says Angela Cliff,  BPEX Knowledge transfer manager. "The clips explain why tasks are done in a certain way and what impact that can have on pig productivity. Attention to detail is essential on every unit to improve pig performance."
The extensive library of video clips currently covers both indoor and outdoor breeding herd production, with more clips being added regularly.
"If there is something producers would like to be added, please let the knowledge transfer team know. It's a dynamic video library that we can build to suit producers' needs," says Cliff.
Breeding herd management has been covered first, as part of the Breed +3 initiative, and filming for finishing unit management clips is due to start in autumn 2013.
To download the Practical Pig app for a smartphone or tablet go to play.google.com and search for BPEX Practical Pig or, to download the videos on a PC or laptop, go to practicalpig.bpex.org.uk.

BPEX releases 2013 Yearbook detailing pig research

The new-look 2013 BPEX Yearbook details all the pig research being carried out by both BPEX Knowledge Transfer and Research and Development is now available online.
The publication covers all the research projects including those under the innovation fund scheme, and there is a section which takes a look at the industry in figures. These cover everything from performance trends over five years and cost of production data to carcase weights and average back fat measurements
"This publication replaces the old Annual Technical Report but it contains so much more," says Miriam Drewett, technology coordinator at BPEX. "The publication outlines all the work currently underway by BPEX aimed at helping pig producers both cope with volatile cost of production and move towards the 2-ton sow target.
The report is available on the BPEX website and can be downloaded in sections at http://www.bpex.org.uk/articles/302959/The_BPEX_Yearbook_2012__2013.aspx.

Real Welfare program allows vets to upload pig data

The introduction of the Real Welfare program continues as a web portal that allows vets to submit data from paper forms goes live.
The information can be uploaded straight into the database, which will provide a picture of the British pig herd.
The Real Welfare program uses scientific data to boost productivity and animal welfare. The project is funded by British Pig Executives, an organization that represents pig levy payers. The organization is part of England's Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.
Research Projects Manager Katja Stoddart said, "Vets can use paper forms to collect Real Welfare data or they will be able to use an app on a smartphone, though not all vets will want to use that option.
"The development of the app to allow instant electronic collection and submission of data, along with instant feedback, is now almost complete and this will be rolled out during May.
"We are prepared for there to be teething problems – there are bound to be with something like this. However, any problems identified will be resolved as rapidly as possible by the British Pig Executives team and the software developer.
"We have also held a number of webinars specifically for vets to train them on using the web portal and submitting the data. We do plan to hold more over the next couple of months.
"We are also working on the functionality of the web portal aiming to set it up so producers will be able to log in to the web portal to pre-populate information on the farm layout before the vet's visit. This could ultimately be extended still further to allow producers to have immediate access to their scores."
Red Tractor Pigs Chairman Mike Sheldon said, "I think it is great that we are now turning Real Welfare from a project into a reality and getting to grips with the detail of making it work as efficiently as possible.
"I am grateful to all the vets, producers, advisers and staff who are contributing with their questions, solutions and ideas to make everything work smoothly.
"I have no doubt that we will have some bumps in the road, but I am equally sure we will get there and deliver a feature of pig farm assurance that is highly valued by our customers."

UK pig farmers unable to invest in new buildings

Many buildings used for UK pig production are at least 20 years old but producers can’t afford to invest in new structures, according to a recent BPEX buildings survey.
The willingness to invest is there as pig producers know a better environment leads to production efficiencies, however, the climate isn’t right.
Some key findings include:
• 90 percent of pig farms sampled stated that their current facilities were not ideal and they wished to invest in new buildings.
• There is a wide range in time since investment was last made in new facilities, but many producers have made no substantive replacement or extension to their housing in the past 10 years.
• Many pig producers still see improvement in physical performance, hence reducing the cost of production, as the main reason for contemplating investment in both facilities and new technology. But better use of labor and the desire to improve animal welfare also featured strongly.
“This is the first comprehensive study of this type for many years and, while some of the findings confirm often-reported views, others provide a more detailed insight into the industry,” says Nigel Penlington, environment program manager at BPEX. “What is clear is that, while the structure of many buildings on pig farms may be old, they have been maintained so that they remain fit for purpose. But they may not be the most efficient in terms of resource and labor use.

Pig data research to improve herd performance, profits

A new Two-Ton Sow (2TS) recording project is designed to help English pig producers understand recorded data to improve herd performance and profits.
The BPEX knowledge transfer team is working with pig recording analyst Sanne Baden and six different pig producers on the data recording project, as part of the ‘Breed +3’ initiative to help each herd wean an extra three pigs per sow per year.
The 2TS Recording Project will run for the rest of 2013, with the first farm visits by Sanne now complete. The herds range in size from 250 to 750 sows and include both indoor and outdoor units.
Plans pig producers have made after their initial discussions include:
1. Measuring the impact of different genetics through the system
2. Reducing the number of non-productive days by scanning twice and using boars to check for heat and
3. Recording causes of death in the farrowing house to help pinpoint associations with higher than normal pre-weaning mortality rates.
“Herd performance recording and spending time understanding trends and patterns in the data helps pinpoint which changes could make the biggest difference to pig performance and cutting costs,” says Charlotte West, knowledge transfer manager at BPEX. “It also helps establish what information is most useful to observe on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis. All businesses, including the top performers, can benefit.”
Sanne will make three more quarterly visits to see how things are going and make further recommendations. All pig producers involved in the project will be discussing their progress at local Pig Club meetings.
For more information, see www.bpex.org.uk/2TS/breeding. 

EU pig prices remain stable in 2013

The average EU pig price remained relatively stable between mid-December and the end of February 2013, fluctuating around €170 per 100kg, according to BPEX.
This contrasts with the normal seasonal pattern when prices fall sharply after Christmas before recovering during February. In 2013, prices fell only marginally in January but increases in February were also modest.
Ongoing tight supplies helped to prevent a sharper decline in prices but reports of subdued demand, particularly from export markets, are keeping a lid on prices for the time being.
Nevertheless, prices have remained above 2012 levels, although the gap has narrowed from over €20 per 100kg in mid-January to around €10 at the end of February.
Although the average price across Europe has remained stable, some Member States have recorded increases in recent weeks. Over the four weeks of February, prices increased by over €8 in Spain and €6 in France and Poland.
In contrast, Danish prices were flat during the month while Italy joined the UK in recording falling prices. In euro terms, the fall in the UK reference price was exacerbated by the weakening pound so the gap between the UK price and the EU average fell from around €20 per 100kg at the turn of the year to just €2 at the end of February. When the prices get as close as this, UK prices usually start increasing.

Weaning more pigs to fatten the bottom line

To reach the Two-Ton Sow (2TS) target for the UK pig industry, BPEX is focusing on helping pig producers wean an extra three pigs per sow year.
British pig producers are efficient at finishing pigs but are not producing enough pigs in the first place. Although progress has made in physical performance, a big gap remains between Britain and the rest of Europe.
The numbers of pigs born and weaned have still only increased by around half a pig per sow per year on British units since 2006. Meanwhile, other countries have continued to increase their performance by at least two pigs.
BPEX knowledge transfer manager Lis Ravn said: “The aim is to help every producer move towards an extra three pigs per sow year weaned, whether they’re currently about average at 23 pigs weaned or if they’re already at 27 and want to get to 30.
“We have identified some priorities to help achieve this. Keeping performance records and, importantly, spending time understanding the data is something that high-performing businesses have in common. As is doing all the ‘small’ daily things to a high standard, which is where training and skills development help too.”

UK pork exports grew 7 percent in 2012

UK pork exports were up 7 percent, making 2012 the best year for British pig meat since 2000. Strong export performance of UK pork continued in December, with China taking the second largest volume of pig meat exports for the second consecutive month, according to BPEX.
However, the increase in pork exports was more than offset by a sharp decline in shipments of bacon and ham. There was a more positive picture for exports of processed pig meat products and, more significantly, offal. The main driver of growth in offal shipments was increased demand from other EU countries, which was up 82 percent, likely for use in manufactured products or for re-export.
The UK imported less pork in 2012 than in 2011. The decline was largely the result of tighter supplies in the rest of the EU. In December 2012, shipments were again down mainly the result of a fall of over a third in Danish supplies. Bacon and ham imports were also lower in 2012 and the decline in the final month of the year was even sharper.
The falls in pork and bacon imports have largely been offset by increased volumes of processed pig meat. However, growth has slowed as the year progressed and in December, sausage imports were down on a year earlier, while other processed pig meat shipments were unchanged.

Pleurisy costing UK pig producers

Pleurisy is costing UK pig producers at least 75p per affected pig in processing costs alone and the incidence of the complaint is increasing, according to the BPEX Pig Health Scheme and the Collection and Communication of Inspection Results.
Abattoirs are reporting up to 15 percent of the kill being severely affected. The cost is incurred when slaughter line speeds are slowed to deal with the additional dressing requirements of affected carcasses. Typically pig processors deduct half a kilo from the dead weight of affected carcases, resulting in a big loss to producers.
In addition to these losses, pleurisy stunts the growth and performance of pigs: BPEX estimates the total cost could be as high as £2.30 for every single pig slaughtered (where there is 10 percent pleurisy prevalence).
But these losses are avoidable says Emma Bailey-Beech, BPEX, pork safety and quality manager.
“As this is a lung infection, pigs may not show any outward signs of the condition such as coughing or pained breathing. If pleurisy is highlighted, in the first instance, talk to your vet about changing your management practice to reduce pleurisy.
“Vets can help recommend changes to avoid and reduce further cases – such as minimizing moving and mixing pigs, effective cleaning, disinfecting and drying of housing, and extending the down-time between batches.”

Physical and virtual agricultural library free to public

Information is a valuable resource but it is being offered to the farming industry free by British Pig Executives, an organization for taxpayers involved in the pig industry.
British Pig Executives is part of England’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, which maintains a library, both physical and virtual, which is open for the industry and students to use.
Librarian Amy Cawood said, “The physical library contains a wealth of valuable documents, mostly covering livestock and meat science.
“I also have access to libraries across the globe and, time permitting, I may well be able to undertake searches if people are looking for something specific. In this case I may not always be able to get hold of a document, but at least I can determine if it exists.
“There are very few library services that cover this subject area outside the university sector. The archive also contains a great deal of information about the former Meat and Livestock Commission.
“If people would like to visit that can be arranged but it would have to be by appointment and I would have to fit it in with my working schedule.”
Anybody who would like to find out more about what is available should contact Amy by calling +02476.478.839, or by email, amy.cawood@ahdb.org.uk. There is also an online library catalog which is still under development but is freely available to anybody at library.ahdb.org.uk.

UK pig farmers unite against illegal pork imports

UK pig farmers are challenging all companies selling imported pork and pork products to publically commit that they are not selling illegally-produced meat from farms that are not compliant with European welfare legislation outlawing the prolonged confinement of sow stalls.
The National Pig Association has launched a website Wall-of-Fame-and-Shame which lists companies that have pledged to source imported pork products only from farms that are operating legally.
Most European Union countries have failed to comply with the European Union’s animal welfare directive which from January 1, 2013 bans the prolonged confinement of sows in stalls. Individual sow stalls have been outlawed on British pig units for 14 years. They are so narrow, pigs cannot turn around — all they can do is sit, stand, and lie down. To promote animal welfare, BPEX has launched a Compliant Pork website to provide regular updates on the progress of European countries towards compliance of the partial sow stall ban.
As many as 40,000 pigs an hour are being delivered to continental processing plants from illegally-operated pig farms, according to the National Pig Association’s calculations. “As Britain imports around 60 percent of its processed pork it is inevitable that many consumers are unwittingly supporting this unacceptable European trade in illegally-farmed pigs,” said Dr. Zoe Davies general manager of the National Pig Association. “Shoppers must be told which British retailers and food companies they can trust not to take part in this trade.”
Yorkshire pig farmer John Rowbottom, a member of National Pig Association’s policy-making Producer Group, said, "If Brussels cannot police its own rules, then British pig farmers will have to do the job for them. British consumers are being sold pork products from continental farms that are operating illegally. It’s a gross breach of animal welfare, it is unfair on consumers and it is unfair on British farmers, because it distorts fair trade.”

British pig organization BPEX to export pork to Australia

BPEX, an organization for pig levy payers in England, will soon be allowed to export pig meat to Australia following an agreement of health certificates.
BPEX and Australian authorities have agreed to the technical side of the pig meat export agreement and are in the process of plant registration. Peter Hardwick, BPEX international manager, said Australian retailers are having difficulty sourcing high-quality pork domestically.
“The pork being sent out there will be high value, high welfare and it will all be heat treated, which means the majority of it will go for bacon manufacture," said Hardwick. "The unique feature of the UK is that we are able to deliver this high-quality pork rather than commodity pork."