Produmix announces winners of Focus on Piglets photo contest

The first-place winner of the "Focus on Piglets" contest, "Retrato Escondido” (Hidden Portrait), by the Argentine photographer Mercedes Cotolí. 

Produmix has announced the winners of its "Focus on Piglets" photo contest, which asked participants to focus on the world of swine in general and piglets in particular.

The jury chose "Retrato Escondido” (Hidden Portrait), by the Argentine photographer Mercedes Cotolí, as the first-prize winning photo. The prize for the best photo captured by a professional of the pig sector went to "Juntos” (Together), by the veterinarian Alfonso Ferrer, form Zaragoza, Spain. Esther Gracia, also from Zaragoza, won the favor of the public expressed through popular votes on Facebook and on the contest’s website with her photo called "Nueva generación de ganaderos” (New generation of farmers). The jury wants to emphasize the extraordinary quality of the pictures sent by farmers, veterinarians, agronomists and other professionals.

A traveling exhibition with selected photos that will tour the main pig-producing areas in different countries will be prepared in the coming months. In the meantime, the winning photos and contest finalists are displayed at www.focusonpiglets.com. 

Scottish union in bid to help pig sector

NFU Scotland has proposed a package of measures to ease the severe pressure on the nation’s pig sector caused by imports of cheaper pigmeat from continental Europe and the persistent high cost of grain. This includes proposals to ask the UK government to set out a timetable for a supermarket adjudicator and pushing for a move to less frequent risk-based Pollution Prevention and Control scheme inspections, in line with new European legislation.
The union said it was also seeking prioritisation of the pigs sector for a future round of rural development funding.
NFU Scotland vice-president, John Picken, said: “The pig sector requires industry, government and levy boards to work collectively. This is not a call for an aid package, but is about developing measures to ensure the markets work fairly and in a way that ensures business can move forward.”

Pfizer announces 3 finalists for Pig Trainee of the Year awards

Pfizer Animal Health has announced the three finalists for its annual Pig Trainee of the Year award.
Kate Munro-Ashman, the manager of a 900-sow outdoor unit producing weaners; Peter Hunt, who works with an outdoor pig herd at LB & HE Bowker at Cotley Farm; and Helen Hooks, who manages a 540-sow indoor unit producing weaners and was a runner-up for the 2008 award, have been chosen. The award, which includes a training grant and a cash prize worth a combined total of £2500, will be presented Nov. 1 at a House of Commons ceremony for both the pig and poultry sectors.