Pigs raised on Freedom Food farms increased 50 percent over last three years

The amount of pork products – including sausages, bacon and cooked ham, as well as fresh pork – produced to RSPCA welfare standards and carrying the RSPCA’s Freedom Food logo has increased by 200 percent over the last three years (between 2009 and 2012), showing that pig welfare is still firmly front of mind for consumers despite the increase in cost of living.
McDonald’s has recently announced it will become the first high street restaurant chain to use 100 percent Freedom Food pork across its UK menu, making it the second largest buyer of Freedom Food pork products.
New research released by McDonald’s reveals that three quarters of people say they prefer to buy food from farms with high standards of animal welfare in place, and animal welfare ranks alongside price and traceability as the top factors behind their food purchasing decisions (March 2013).
The increase in Freedom Food labelled pork is mirrored by an upsurge in the number of pigs under the scheme. Over the last three years Freedom Food has seen about a 50 percent increase with around 948,000 more pigs being reared in 2012, compared to 2009.
“This means that nearly a third of all British farmed pigs are now being reared under Freedom Food where they benefit from the RSPCA’s higher welfare standards, which is great progress,” says David Squair, chief executive for Freedom Food. “It is clear that British consumers remain firmly committed to farm animal welfare, despite the difficult economic climate. This news also reinforces the fact that people really do have the power to bring about positive changes to farm animals’ lives through what they buy at the supermarket and choose to eat in restaurants.
“The more people demand higher welfare, the more farmers will rear to higher welfare standards and the more animals will benefit from better lives," he said.
There are now 420 different Freedom Food labelled pork products – including sausages, bacon and cooked ham, as well as fresh pork – available in UK supermarkets.
According to The Co-operative’s latest annual report, Ethical Consumerism (December 2012), ethical food sales continue to grow, with an increase of 4.66 percent in 2011. Freedom Food labelled products are one of the biggest winners – showing growth in 2010 to 2011 of 17.32 percent.

TOPIGS sows weaned average 28.1 piglets each in 2010

Pig farms with TOPIGS sows weaned an average of 28.1 piglets per sow in 2010, according to results from a sow management system linked to TOPIGS.
Data was gathered from 748 Dutch farms with a total of nearly 337,000 sows. The top 10% of farms achieved 30.9 weaned piglets per sow per year. At the same time, mortality of the piglets has fallen slightly and the average piglet mortality is 11.9%, down from both 2009 and 2008 (12.1%). For the top 10% of farms the mortality rate was 10.4%.
Ninety farms (12% of the total) weaned more than 30 piglets per sow per year. The best farm weaned 33.3 piglets per sow per year.

UK pork imports increased 1% in 2010

The UK imported a total of 362,800 tons of fresh and frozen pork in 2010, 1% higher than in 2009, according to a report from the British Pig Executive.
Denmark supplied 27% of the UK’s pork, with the Netherlands providing 18%. Belgium, Germany and Ireland all supplied 13% and Poland provided just 730 tons, considerably lower than the 1,480 tons it exported to the UK in 2009 and 4,583 tons in 2008.

British Pig Executive report shows pig producer confidence down for 2011

A new British Pig Executive survey has revealed that pig producer confidence is at an all-time low, with the confidence index dropping to 30.2 compared with 2010's 45.8. Roughly 53% of producers feel less confident about the market this year than they did last year.
The confidence index for non-producers also dropped, from 97.1 in 2010 to 92.2 in 2011, with 35% of them feeling less confident this year than last year. According to the report, return on investment uncertainty is a significant factor in the current mood; producers are far more likely to invest in buildings, plants or machinery that are seen as necessary for replacement or to increase efficiency and productivity. Expansion is not, for the most part, an important motivating factor for 2011.
Survey respondents were also less optimistic about the industry's financial situation, with only 7% feeling more optimistic about the general financial situation for 2011 (2010 number: 39%).

UK pig producers attack processor profits

British pig producers are accusing the country’s retailers and processors of making “serious profits” from pork and pork products, while the country’s pig farmers are facing crippling and unsustainable losses.
The claim appears in a new report from the British Pig Executive, BPEX, called Profitability in the Pig Supply Chain.
It reveals that in the 12 weeks to January 23, 2011, British pig producers amassed losses of £35 million (US$57 million), while over the same period the processing sector’s profits were estimated at £100 million and retailers enjoyed combined profits of £192 million from pork and pork product sales.
“The report clearly illustrates that while pig farmers are operating at a loss, the rest of the supply chain is making huge profits,” said BPEX head of marketing, Chris Lamb. “The sustainability of the pig industry is under severe threat.
“The prospect of losing huge numbers of pig farmers who can no longer afford to produce pigs is very real. The supply chain needs to act – and act now.” 

British pig farmers launch 'buy local' pork campaign

British pig farmers, currently making losses because of the high cost of pig feed, have stepped up to help launch a national advertising campaign to get British citizens to buy home-grown pork.
Roadside fields are being used to display signs in support of buying British pork, and so far more than 270 banners have gone up on farms around the country. “Many shoppers are already pretty loyal when it comes to choosing British pork, because they know it is higher quality," said pig farmer Richard Lister. "The aim of this campaign is to persuade shoppers to make an extra effort to choose British rather than anonymous lower-welfare imported pork."
Pig farmers are planning a March 3 Westminster rally to raise awareness among the government and to ask supermarkets to pay them a fair price. “We need supermarkets to pay pig farmers enough to cover the cost of producing high-welfare British pork," said Lister. "At the moment, supermarkets and most processors are making large profits — but pig farmers are losing around £20 on every pig they sell.”

PCV2 virus study gives UK pig producers insight into porcine reproductive failure

Britain’s Veterinary Laboratories Agency, VLA, is to increase surveillance for PCV2 virus as a cause of reproductive failure in cases of abortion and stillbirth, where no other infectious cause has been identified.
The hearts of stillborn or aborted piglets submitted to the agency will be examined for myocarditis, the lesion caused by PCV2 in the heart of the developing pig foetus. When a myocarditis is detected, immunohistochemistry will be used to determine whether PCV2 is the cause.
VLA veterinary officer Susanna Williamson says: “Data from the field and research show that PCV2 can be transmitted to the pig foetus, and may, in previously naïve gilts and sows, cause piglets to be aborted or stillborn with myocarditis lesions. "Through this increased surveillance we will be able to monitor for PCV2-associated abortion and stillbirth and obtain a better idea of the role that it plays in porcine reproductive failure in England and Wales. Other pathogens may also cause myocarditis, which is why it will be essential to demonstrate the PCV2 in association with lesions to obtain a diagnosis.”
Ricardo Neto, veterinary advisor with Merial Animal Health, said: “We welcome this move as it should provide a clearer picture about what is happening with regard to the transmission of the PCV2 virus and the effect that it has.
“It would be very helpful if vets could have a diagnosis of PCV2 in reproductive failures on their client farms, especially because the control of PCV2 among breeding animals can have such a great economic impact.”

UK pig producers lagging behind

Despite improvements in daily liveweight gain and pigs finished per sow, Britain is still lagging behind its European competitors in the production stakes, according to new figures from a publication on international cost of production.
These statistics, compiled by the British Pig Executive (BPEX), show Britain produced the lowest of all the EU countries in 2009 – managing only 1,643kg of pig meat per sow. Although this is 2% better than 2008, it is still well below the country’s target of 2,000kg of pig meat per sow to bring it into line with its major competitors by 2013.
The report, “Cost of Production in Selected Countries,” shows the cost of production for Britain's pig producers fell by 4%, compared with a 3% fall across Europe. BPEX director Mick Sloyan said: "The exchange rate has given us something of an advantage and we are narrowing the gap, but our competitors are not standing still so we must continue to seek improvements.”

UK pig marketing levies to stay the same

After considering proposals to increase levies by up to GBP0.80 per pig to fund additional consumer marketing activity for a period of time, members of the British Pig Executive (BPEX) board have decided not to recommend an increase this year.
It is understood that the board made this decision on the basis that there was insufficient support from the industry, following an informal countrywide debate that has been ongoing over the past several months. 

UK pig industry seals major export deal with China

The way has opened for the export of UK pig meat and breeding pigs to China, following formal agreement of the export health certificate for export of pig meat from the UK to the China by the Chinese authorities on November 8th.
This means that exports from approved plants can now start, and opens up the world’s largest market to UK pig farmers, after nearly a decade of negotiations between the British Pig Executive (BPEX),in conjunction with the government and the country’s trade & investment body and the Chinese authorities.
In addition, the UK government has signed an agreement which re-opens the export of British breeding pigs to China - home to half of the world's pig population. The deal is valued at around £45 million to the UK pig industry over the next five years.
BPEX chairman Stewart Houston said: “This is wonderful news for the industry and something we have really been looking forward to. It will offer enormous opportunities for pig meat, particularly with a range of fifth quarter products – the parts of the carcase that command a premium in China.”
The process of approving the list of UK pig processing plants for export to China is now nearing completion. A joint UK government and BPEX delegation is due to travel to China on 24 November 2010 and will present several more plants for approval during the trip. 

British pig farmers set to grow, despite feed price headaches

Feed prices are causing headaches for British pig farmers at the moment, as feed wheat futures prices soar to £175 a ton in September 2011, compared with an actual price of below £100 in May this year.
Net producer margins (which are described by the British Pig Executive as “a reflection of the true sustainable cost of production, including depreciation of buildings etc) have fallen from plus £7.7/pig in July this year to minus £12.8 in October.
Revealing these disappointing figures to producers in the East of England at the beginning of November, BPEX market analyst James Park warned there was little likelihood of feed prices falling in the short term.
However, UK production was still expected to rise to 785,000 tonnes next year, compared with the estimated 759,000 tonnes this year, as producers adapted to the new conditions and rationalised production to meet growing domestic and export demands.
BPEX is hoping that the UK will soon get the green light to export “fifth quarter” pigmeat, such as ears, to China. At least two British processors have already been approved by the Chinese authorities.