Pork Checkoff names #RealPigFarming student team

The Pork Checkoff has selected 12 college students to be a part of the #RealPigFarming Student Social Forces team. Participants were selected based on their involvement in the pork industry and their strong communication skills. The team will be active through the end of the year.
“Social media is ingrained in young people’s daily lives,” said Claire Masker, public relations manager for the Pork Checkoff. “It’s easy for them to share their thoughts about an industry that they are proud to be a part of.”
Consumers continue to have questions about how pigs are raised, and no one knows the answers better than pork producers. The Pork Checkoff’s social media outreach program is helping real farmers share real stories with consumers through #RealPigFarming. The hashtag (#) before Real Pig Farming helps people search social media posts with the same phrase, making it easier for them to follow conversations.
Team members are:


• Alex Conover, Iowa State University
• Allison Luety, Iowa State University
• Allison Bastian, Iowa State University
• Angie Ruffoni, Santa Rosa Junior College
• Ashley Smeby, Iowa State University
• Breanna Branderhorst, Iowa State University
• Karli Lane, Ohio State University
• Lexi Delaney, Iowa State University
• Megan McNamee, Illinois State University
• Melanie Jackson, Oklahoma State University
• Mitchell Setterman, University of Minnesota – Duluth
• Sarah Marketon, University of Minnesota
“I am excited about the #RealPigFarming campaign,” said Ruffoni, a member of the team. “Leaders and team members can use #RealPigFarming as a platform to reach out and share about modern day pork production, helping to bridge the gap between producers and consumers. I look forward to having meaningful conversations and sharing my story alongside other team members.”
“The social forces team will be encouraged to use #RealPigFarming as advocates for the pork industry,” Masker said. “Through social forces, the students will be able to improve their communications skills and expand their professional network.”

26,000-head pig farm proposed in Northern Wisconsin

A proposed pig farm in Northern Wisconsin that would house more than 26,000 head, including 7,500 sows, is being proposed by Reicks View Farms.
If approved, the $17.7 million farm, which would be known as Badgerwood, would be the largest pig farm in the state.
Reicks View Farms, headquartered in Lawler, Iowa, intends to raise female pigs to maturity and ship them to Iowa farms, according to a Wisconsin Gazette report. The company was attracted to northern Wisconsin because it is far from hog-intensive areas of Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and southern Wisconsin, where the potential for spreading animal diseases is greater, Gene Noem, director of swine operations for Reicks View Farms, stated in an email to the Gazette.
The proposed farm is being considered by the U.S. Environmental Protection and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The farm would be located just a few miles from the town of Ashland and the shore of the Chequamegon Bay, which is the water source for residents of Ashland. Area residents with concerns that manure from the farm would eventually wash off the land and end up polluting Chequamegon Bay and Lake Superior, have been expressing that they are opposed to the potential pig farm.

Minnesota hog breeding farm will rebuild after fire

• 

  Andrea Gantz

  A Minnesota hog farm devastated by a fire on October 25 will rebuild, but it may take as long as a year to do so.

  From WATTAgNet:
  A hog breeding farm in southern Minnesota that was devastated by a fire on October 25 will rebuild, but it could take as long as a year to do so, managers said. The fire claimed three buildings at the Cougar Run Farm near Truman, Minnesota. It also killed an estimated 4,000 sows and as many as 7,000 piglets.
  About 1,300 sows were saved. Four employees were working at the time of the fire, and none suffered any injuries.
  The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it does not appear to be of a suspicious nature. Luke Minion, CEO of Pipestone System, the owner of the farm, said that once investigators clear the site, the process of putting up replacement structures and herd rebuilding will begin.
  "We've got a lot of work to do. A farm this size is going to take seven months (to rebuild). It could be a year before producers can get back to normal pig flow," Minion said.
  Firefighters from 10 agencies battled the fire for hours and returned the following day to check hot spots. Four other emergency agencies were also on the scene to provide assistance.
  The Truman Fire Department said in a statement that early estimates place fire damage in the multi-millions of dollars.

Large hog feeding operation approved by Indiana county board

• The zoning board in Jackson County, Indiana, has given approval for a new large hog feeding operation in a rural area of the county.
  The board on October 15 voted 4-0 to approve a confined feeding operation site north of the community of Crothersville in Southern Indiana. The facility would house about 4,000 hogs.
  The vote followed a public comment period, where many opponents of the operation expressed worries about odors, truck traffic and possible water contamination to wells and the nearby Muscatatuck River from stored manure. An estimated 100 people attended the meeting.
  One neighbor, Trina McLain, said she had health concerns about the hog facility being about a quarter of a mile mile from her home and that it would harm the quality of life for nearly 500 homes in the vicinity.
  However, farmer Kyle Broshears said the hog facility would be built as far as possible from the closest home in the area.
  His plans call for spending about $900,000 on the facility that would include an 81-by-417-foot building housing the hogs and a concrete pit that would hold about 1 million gallons of manure. The facility meets all the requirements set forth by the county.

The Maschhoffs buys two sow farms from JBS United

The Maschhoffs LLC, the largest independent pork producer in the United States, has acquired two sow farms from affiliates of livestock nutrition and health company JBS United Inc. The two farms are located in Morristown and Crawfordsville, Indiana.
The transaction includes two farms capable of housing up to 7,500 sows. Approximately 30 people are employed at the two facilities.
Financial terms of the transaction were not released.
“We are excited about this strategic transaction, which materialized due to our long-standing relationship and partnership with JBS United, Inc. We look forward to integrating these farms and their employees into our operations,” said Jason Logsdon, chief executive officer for The Maschhoffs.
The Maschhoffs is headquartered in Carlyle, Illinois, and partners with more than 450 production partners across the Midwest, who work with the company to collectively produce enough pork to feed more than 16 million consumers annually.

Antibiotics in pork: Is pig industry sending mixed message to public?

During the International Pig Forum at the 30^th Alltech Symposium, experts and attendees discussed the use of antibiotics in pork production and how consumers react to their usage. 


What does ‘antibiotic-free’ mean?
The first call-to-action at the forum was for the industry to define what exactly “antibiotic-free” means. Does it mean the therapeutic use of antibiotics in pork production? Does it mean no growth-promoting antibiotics? Does it mean no antibiotic use at all? The forum group agreed that the swine industry needs a definition in order to present a unified front to the public, helping circumvent consumer confusion.


Consumer confusion
Without a definition of what "antibiotic-free" means, attendees noted that companies like A&W and Chipotle are capitalizing on consumer ignorance by marketing their antibiotic-free meat.
Dr. Megan Edwards, a pig nutritionist, mentioned an example of consumer confusion in Australia, where veterinarians are writing a recording-breaking number of prescriptions for swine producers. While the farmers feel that they are producing antibiotic-free meat, this is not in alignment with what consumers expect in antibiotic-free pork.
Dr. Mark FitzSimmons, a veterinarian and pig farmer from the U.S., added that consumers do not seem to be on the same page as to what exactly they do not like about the use of antibiotics. “When you ask people what they're afraid of about antibiotics, you get all sorts of answers. To me, we really need to understand if they are afraid of antibiotic resistance [or something else].”


Potential solution
The forum concluded with the opinion that there needs to be a holistic approach when it comes to educating the public about antibiotic use in pork production. With consumers, clarity on the term “antibiotic-free” should come from both inside and outside the production chain in order to have an effect. The industry also needs to understand and address what exactly consumers fear about antibiotics. Are they afraid of "antibiotic residue” on meat? What about antibiotic resistance? 

PEDV: lock your farm door

Cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) have been reported in the U.S. for less than a year. In this time, veterinarians have learned a lot about the disease but also have unanswered questions.
"What is known is this virus has a high mortality rate-up to 100 percent of very young animals die-and the virus is very stable, capable of remaining in an environment for weeks, which can lead to ongoing losses," said Dr. Mary Battrell, senior production swine veterinarian at Murphy-Brown LLC, at the VIV International Pork Production Summit Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus roundtable discussion held during the 2014 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE). The summit was sponsored by Dutch-based trade show organizers of VIV.
Although the method of transmission in not certain, it is clear that the virus is highly contagious.
"Basically, the bottom line is you need to lock your farm down. There's a lot of positive ways PEDV can get into a farm," Battrell said. "We need to put a lot of emphasis on biosecurity."
Dr. Matthew Turner of Prestage Farms pointed out that production is slow to recover following a wave of PEDV for a number of reasons. Although PED is similar in ways to transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE), PED is much harder to get rid of, and the production cycle can be affected for as long as several months. Because pigs shed enormous amounts of this highly infectious virus, it is difficult for sows to protect their young by passing on immunity. Also, abortions and reduced conception rates may be associated with a PEDV outbreak, sometimes caused when porcine reproductive and respiratory virus spreads at the same time.
In his presentation on the future of the U.S. pork sector in a global perspective, James Kenwood, managing director of Rabobank International, observed that pork is the leading globally consumed meat protein, with chicken catching up and beef fairly stable. He also noted that China is an important part of that calculus. It is the largest single protein-consuming market, and pork represents nearly 75 percent of all protein consumed. These numbers could add up to good news for the U.S., which has already benefitted from increased global pork demand, particularly if China follows the model of Japan.
"The outlook for the pork sector is based on understanding the value chain," Kenwood said, using Atlanta's blast of snowy weather to remind the audience that weather is one reason why the pork value chain is volatile and "not for the faint of heart."
Although early predictions call for 2014 to be a year of record profitability, anything from devaluation of the yen - which makes U.S. produced pork more expensive - to the spread of the PEDV could affect that forecast.
From a Chinese perspective, Ma Chuang, vice secretary general, Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine and partner, Boyar Communication Co., detailed some of the challenges and opportunities ahead. He shared that beef and mutton prices in China have soared, making pork a more affordable option for consumers who crave more protein in their diets. If beef production cannot meet this demand, then other sources will have an opening, including pork and poultry. Demand for poultry has also risen, although it was hit by the outbreak of H7N9 bird flu last year. Importation of pork and edible offal is also expected to grow.

Tyson ends contract with hog farm where animal abuse occurred

Tyson Foods decided to end its contract relationship with an Oklahoma hog farm after a video of abuse at the farm was released. The video, distributed by the animal rights group Mercy For Animals and shown on NBC, showed farm workers striking pigs and slamming piglets into a concrete floor, and in one instance a worker was videoed throwing a bowling ball at a pig, hitting it in the head.
The farm where the abuse took place was identified as West Coast Farms in Henryetta, Okla.
"We're extremely disappointed by the mistreatment shown in the video and will not tolerate this kind of animal mishandling," Mickelson wrote in an email to The Associated Press. "We are immediately terminating our contract with this farmer and will take possession of the animals remaining on the farm. We're serious about proper animal handling and expect the farmers who supply us to treat animals with care and to be trained and certified in responsible animal care practices. It's consistent with our core values to 'serve as stewards of the animals 'entrusted to us."

Pig toys designed to increase animal well-being

WEDA Dammann and Westerkamp along with Kassel University have teamed together to develop rooting cones and pushing balls made of a flexible material that allow piglets and fattening pigs to act out their natural play in a safe way.

In cooperation with Kassel University and WEDA Dammann and Westerkamp, specialists for pig house equipment from Lutten have developed a new kind of flexible material for piglet and fattening pig toys. By using the rooting cones and pushing balls made of bite-resistant and food-safe polyurethane and mounted to floor and brackets, the animals can act out their natural play instinct and can busy themselves while standing up, sitting or lying down.
Tested in various pig houses, the animals' dealing with the cones has until now shown consistently positive results. In particular, reoriented behavior patterns like tail-biting are reduced due to the satisfied rooting instinct. This is mainly relevant because starting in 2016, tail cropping will be prohibited in German pig houses.
Scientific findings also prove the practical suitability of the toys. In test groups with rooting cones, the animals used the cone significantly more than other animals used the classical chain or ball. Consequently, the atmosphere in the rooting cone groups is clearly more tranquil than in the comparison groups. The injuries have also clearly visibly declined for animals using the cone. The results of this "screening" (visible scratch marks) have been fully taken into account during product development.
The rooting cones for piglets measure 60 millimeters in diameter, and the cones for fattening animals have a diameter of 80. The balls are mounted on a stable plastic ground plate with flexible metal springs. Fixed that way, the movements of the balls ensure variety and resistance so that the animals remain in the center of the house and do not evade into the corners.
The pushing balls were developed in direct connection with the rooting cones. "We were well aware of the demand of pig farmers for suitable manipulable material, especially for the farrowing section and service station", explains Ralf Meyer, WEDA's development manager.
The pushing balls are available in ¾-inch and 1-inch sizes, and can be installed at the pipes of the farrowing cages or feeding/resting pens without the need to remove equipment. "The acceptance of pig farmers for these toys does not least result from the hygiene properties and from a manufacturer-independent use of the low-noise balls", adds Ralf Meyer.
The detailed results of the scientific study will soon be published by WEDA Dammann and Westerkamp.

Banff Pork Seminar 2014 targets challenges, opportunities

There aren't many questions bigger than those today in pork production or agriculture generally, and the upcoming Banff Pork Seminar has set an aggressive program to tackle those issues Jan. 21 to 23, 2014 in Banff, Alberta.
"Over more than 40 years the Banff Pork Seminar (BPS) has built a reputation as a leading seminar in the pork industry globally by tackling issues directly with the best speakers of the day," says Don Down, chair of the BPS advisory committee. "This coming year, we've picked a theme of 'Today's challenges, tomorrow's opportunities' and offer two plenary sessions and 10 breakout sessions that help producers and industry prepare for their future."
On the challenge side, social pressure and animal care are major issues facing the industry and the first plenary tackles both. "The impact of social pressure in the marketplace" is addressed by Dallas Hockman, vice-president of industry relations for the National Pork Producers in the U.S.
"The dignity of raising animals for food" is speaker Dr. Nelson Kloosterman's topic. He is executive director and ethics consultant for Worldview Resources International, a service organization committed to understanding and applying a religious worldview to responsible living in a global culture.
Thursday's plenary looks at the opportunities side. "We are seeing significant consolidation in the pork industry and we look at that from an opportunities perspective," says Down.  Steve Meyer of Paragon Economics from the U.S. addresses "Global economics driving Canadian production," and Jose Cardenas of Elanco Animal Health speaks on "Technology - The Vital Ingredient for Producing Efficient, Affordable and Abundant Food Globally."
The 10 breakout sessions allow every delegate to custom design their own program, says Dr. Ruurd Zijlstra, BPS program director. "These sessions offer multiple speakers who bring issues down to a very practical level that producers can use in their operations.
"Controlling feed costs is always a major factor and we have a session on that and another on mycotoxins which have reared their head again in the industry. There is a session on making the most of labor, a huge issue for producers today.
"We look at industry structure and finance, the latest on the new national animal care codes being implemented, and how to advocate for pork and production. There's a session on novel research and application, one on sow productivity, a session on swine health and another on getting pigs to slaughter more efficiently."
The 2014 Seminar closes with a Boar Pit Session and reception, a chance for people to question industry experts in an informal, open and entertaining way. "We had excellent feedback on this event from the past year and we are pleased to continue it again this year," says Zijlstra.
Early registration is encouraged with a significant discount for registering before Nov. 15, 2013. "We've worked to build in various registration options, including new options for group registrations," says Zijlstra.
"With strong attendance from across Canada and internationally each year this seminar offers an excellent networking opportunity," he adds.
The best place to get full registration details, program information and latest news on the 2014 Banff Pork Seminar is the Seminar website.

Farmers Weekly 'Pig Farmer of the Year 2013' announced

Scottish pig  producer and breeder Ian Davidson, has been named Farmers Weekly "Pig Farmer of the Year 2013" at a ceremony held at Grosvenor House, in London's Park Lane.
Davidson's business, Mossie's Pork, supplies around 8,000 pigs annually to supermarkets via Scottish Pig Producers. Since May 2012, his team has worked closely with JSR to produce more robust, disease-resistant pigs, using the JSR Geneconverter 400 sire line.
Tim Rymer, JSR Chairman, was delighted for Ian, known as Mossie, as the win means he is the second JSR customer to pick-up the award two years running. "Where he really stands out is in his approach to pig production," says Rymer. "He breeds pigs that are so robust that antibiotics have been significantly reduced from diets and vaccines are gradually being withdrawn - with no effect on mortality and considerable cost savings."
After an increase in antibiotic use made Davidson reassess his herd type, he enlisted the expertise of JSR last year to introduce the new Hampshire (Geneconverter 400) breed of boar to his farm. Since he made the change, results have shown his weaned pigs are 1kg heavier, stronger and their growth rate has improved by about 10 percent.
As well as the physical benefits, Davidson also is saving money. The creep feed consumption has been reduced and, by cutting out the use of antibiotics, Ian has saved £3.70 per pig ­- which equates to £30,000 overall.
Tailoring diets to each stage of growth has also had a positive impact, with feed conversion ratios hitting 2.75:1 (including sow feed) - making the unit in the top five per cent in the UK. Other increases include the meat sold per sow (2.1t) and litter sizes (by 1.5 pigs a sow to 27.44 pigs a sow each year).
Davidson saves money through improved growth rate, but he has cut costs by using liquid fish instead of fishmeal in his pig feed. He ships it in direct from the coast, before blending and processing it in the farm's feed mill. The equipment - namely an old tanker from a chocolate factory - cost him £4,000, but he is saving £28,000 in feed costs.
Slurry is another big issue on Davidson's farm and he has saved £25,000 a year by managing the crop more efficiently and using the slurry produced as one of the main fertilizers on the farm. He installed a slurry store in 2011 and incorporated slurry enzymes to ensure maximum utilization of available nitrogen, along with the beneficial trace elements. The use of pig slurry this way has enabled a decrease in the overall use of compound fertilizers.
As for the future, Davidson is in the final planning stages for a wind turbine to power his pig units. He is also looking to upgrade some of his older buildings with new units, to further streamline the business.

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.

US pig farmers reducing carbon footprint, says study

US pig producers have made huge improvements in environmental management over the last 50 years, according to "A 50-Year Comparison of the Carbon Footprint and Resource Use of the U.S. Swine Herd: 1959 - 2009," study. The research found that modern pork production methods have led to a 35 percent decrease in the carbon footprint, a 41 percent reduction in water usage and a 78 percent drop in land needed to produce a pound of pork compared to a 1959 baseline.
"The study underscores just how much improvement farmers have made over the past half century," said Garth Boyd, Ph.D. The environmental researcher and former university professor led a team of university and industry scientists in conducting the Checkoff-funded study. "The pork industry has been very successful in significantly reducing its environmental impact and its use of natural resources by nearly 50 percent across the board per pound of pork produced, which is quite an accomplishment."
Several on-farm practices have helped improve U.S. pork's overall environmental sustainability. Boyd said these were primarily related to the continuous improvements made over the years in how farmers care for their animals through better nutrition, health and overall management, as well as through improvements in crop production.
One example in the report shows that feed efficiency of pigs has improved 33 percent, which means that animals consume less feed for every pound of meat produced. This is a major factor that reduces both the amount of land required for growing grain and the amount of manure produced by pigs.
The National Pork Board has defined four pillars of environmental sustainability - carbon footprint, water footprint, air footprint and land footprint. According to Conley Nelson, National Pork Board president, the Pork Checkoff is making inroads into all of these areas with farmer-directed research and the creation of on-farm tools. Most notably, producers can now use the Live Swine Carbon Footprint Calculator to calculate the impact and improvements on their own farms.
As each of the four pillars of environmental sustainability is completed they will be integrated with the others to provide a tool that pork producers can use to further their ongoing efforts to protect the natural environment in all of their farming activities.

Conferences updated Chinese on the latest European pig farming technology

Kiotechagil China recently hosted two conferences in Guangdong province to share the current standards of European pig production and performance data with Chinese pig farmers.
The conferences were attended by nearly 300 local pig farmers who were invited by local sub-distributor Mei Ligao. The farmers were addressed by Murray Hyden, director of biosecurity for Kiotechagil; Dr. Wang, technical director for Kiotechagil China; as well as the president and manager of Mei Ligao. 
“These conferences provide perfect opportunities to keep local farmers in China in tune with current European farming practices, and also the implications of the 2013 regulation change with regards group housing of gestating sows,” says Hyden. “We also covered the trend towards outdoor pigs in the UK, the reasons behind the banning of antibiotics for prophylactic use, the benefits and pitfalls of liquid feeding and an introduction to the advantages of protected acid systems.” 
Dr. Wang introduced a new product, Clean’n Dry, a drying agent for piglets with an emollient to keep skin supple and with essential oils to provide an antibacterial effect. The product has been shown to have a calming effect on piglets leading to reduced aggression and enhanced performance.
Kiotechagil’s mycotoxin binder – Neutox was also introduced. Hyden explained to the pig farmers the reasons behind using a combination product to tackle mycotoxins from both field and storage moulds and presented comparative studies using simulated gut modelling.
The conferences were held Zhao Qing and Foshan City.

Online market for weaner pigs, feeder pigs and facility spaces launches

To help producers better manage pig flow and asset utilization, Value-Added Science & Technologies has launchedePigflow, an online market for weaner pigs, feeder pigs and facility spaces.
ePigflow is designed to will connect all participants in the swine industry to make it simple, transparent and secure to buy and sell weaner or feeder pigs and rent facilities.
“Our traditional approach to buying and selling pigs and identifying facilities is inefficient, out-dated and difficult for producers to navigate. Producers have a limited number of contacts, and so do brokers, and too often there is a lack of transparency that makes it difficult for producers to make informed decisions or fully realize what is available,” says Steve Weiss, president of VAST. “It’s common for producers to contact me for help in buying or selling pigs or locating space and I wanted to create a system that would make it easy for them and protect their interests in a more transparent marketplace.
ePigflow provides four services to help producers manage their pig flow and maximize asset utilization:
1. Spot Market Sales. This allow producers to post and buy weaner and feeder pigs through the ePigflow market, including facilitating all necessary aspects of the buying and selling process.
2. Long-Term Contract Listings. Producers now can post groups of pigs they’d like to sell under a long-term arrangement. ePigflow allows users to post important information like genetics, health status, preferred pricing mechanisms and other terms. Interested parties can contact the sellers directly to get more information and work on a potential agreement.
3. Facility Space Listings. This feature allows users to post available facilities for rent. Users post detailed information about the facility and interested parties can contact them directly for more information and to potentially rent the facilities.
4. Payment Assurance Service. The service facilitates sales between parties by handling the sales transaction, collections and managing the discount sheet settlement process in a streamlined and secure manner.
A feature of all services is an email notification service that notifies interested users of new listings once per day and notifies buyers of competing offers when they are actively pursuing a transaction. The transparency of the site also displays offers that are being made so users can get a feel for market prices.
The service charges transaction fees to the seller, but only when there is a successful sale; buyers pay no fees. There also is support staff available to communicate and work with pig producers.
You can sign-up for a free ePigflow account for access to all the listings, price activity and the ability to post new listings. 

China pig producers discuss scientific advancements at EuroTier Europe-China summit

Chinese pig producers are looking to raise the scientific level of their systems and accelerate production — and they are ready to work with their colleagues in Europe in a joint effort to do this and improve the world-wide industry.
The deputy secretary general of the China Animal Agricultural Association, Gong Guifen, spoke at EuroTier 2012 in Hanover, Germany, on November 12, at the Europe-China Pig Summit. “China is a huge pig producer and consumer, while Europe has state-of-the-art technology and has played a substantial role in the successful development of the global industry," she said. “Together they could achieve great things. So, I hope this meeting provide for a profitable exchange between the two regions.”
Helmut Ehlen, the president of ZDS, the umbrella organization of pig production in Germany, opened the conference, which was organized by the European Pig Producers. “China is important as a producer and an important partner in the international market," said Ehlen. “There is a growing need and demand for meat across the world, with different eating habits leading to new markets, and I am optimistic for the future for pig meat, which already enjoys the lion’s share of the meat market.”
Dr. Mike Varley of the Pig Technology Company, who has been working in south and south east Asia for the past 25 years, said he agreed that the future looked optimistic and that rapid improvements in Asia opened up the door for European and U.S. companies to help Asian producers continue to grow. This included providing:


• Systems that offer better biosecurity
• Technology to improve food safety
• New animal welfare techniques
• Better genetics
• Medication and skills to help the Asian industry combat disease and improve their health status

“There are also export opportunities, especially to China now, but I think in the future they may do it all themselves, so Europeans should get in now to help them build up their industry and pig production companies," said Varley. He also said that Asian pig producers were quick to take up new technology, quick to learn and worked well together. They also saved to invest for the future, which he said was vital to ensure a successful future for the whole pig industry.
EuroTier 2012 will take place November 13–16, in Hanover, Germany.

UK virtual pig farm course aims to improve stockmen skills

Stockman Plus is a new "virtual pig farming" course, held through the British Pig Executive and starting across the English regions, that aims to provide the next challenge for trainees to build on the skills and knowledge gained through previous practical experience and/or the previously attended BPEX Stockman Development course.
“The more advanced Stockman Plus course will include problem-solving exercises which will be applied to a virtual farm to allow the group to see the outcome of decisions they make," said Samantha Bowsher, BPEX assistant skills manager.
In addition, the organization's Stockman Development and Institute of Leadership and Management courses are both back for a third year. The Stockman Development course combines training in practical pig husbandry with visits to feed mills and abattoirs. The Institute of Leadership and Management course helps supervisors and managers improve their people management and build their confidence when leading others, according to BPEX. Specially selected modules enable trainees to learn different management techniques and work together to decide on the best ways to handle various situations.
All three courses are flexible — participants can choose particular sessions to attend, subject to availability, or sign up for the whole course. 

Pig producers focus on energy efficiency at SPACE 2012

Several exhibitors in the pig section at SPACE 2012 in Rennes, France, held September 11–14, said they were “pleasantly surprised by the positive response” they were receiving from visitors to the show, and that energy efficiency seems to be a key point of interest.
Large crowds of producers thronged the aisles of the pig sector halls on September 13, with many stopping to look more closely at the array of different products on display. “Business is good,” said a spokeswoman for Dutch bio-energy installation company HoSt Bio-Energy, a first-time exhibitor at the event. “We are finding there is a lot of interest among the pig producers here in our small farm-scale anaerobic digesters, which can produce electricity and heat for their businesses. “I think an increasing number of French pig producers are realizing that they need to take action to control and cut their energy costs, as well as find new, less expensive ways to deal with their waste products, especially slurry.”
Charlotte Højgrav-Huus Skjold, sales manager at VengSystem, a Danish supplier of ventilation technology, said she is seeing the same thing. “Pig producers here seem surprisingly positive about the future, with much more focus on saving energy wherever possible," said Skjold. "I feel things are definitely changing." In addition to France, she said that VengSystem is looking at new markets in Asia. It already exports its systems, which provide controlled temperatures for sows and piglets and, she said, help reduce ammonia emissions. The company exports to Canada, the UK, Ireland, Norway and other EU countries.
While some observers at the show said they think production will fall during the first few months of 2013, they are all confident it will bounce back as producers adapt to the new EU welfare regulations, which come into force on January 1, 2013, and the prices for pigs rise. Shi-Heung Park, president of InterHeat, which specializes in supplying heating lamps for pig houses, also said he feels business has been good in France in 2012, and he has confidence about the future. “People must eat,” he said.

Scottish Agricultural College conducting survey to aid animal welfare research

Scottish Agricultural College is involving 4,000 UK farms in research to improve knowledge of how the on-farm management of pregnant animals influences the health, welfare and productivity of their offspring later in life. The project will support the development of evidence-based "best practice" advice for farmers and policymakers.
The college is asking randomly selected beef, dairy, sheep and pig farmers to complete a questionnaire on the feeding, husbandry and health care of their pregnant livestock. “A substantial body of research — including that carried out at SAC — strongly suggests that prenatal conditions do affect animals later in life, but no one has ever attempted to see how relevant these studies are for real life conditions on UK farms," said Scottish Agricultural College Animal Welfare Scientist Dr. Kenny Rutherford. “The survey will shed light on which practices carry most risk and also help identify those that bring benefits. The ultimate aim is to help farmers review how their management of breeding animals could affect their business and to provide evidence-based advice on enhancing the health, welfare and productivity of their stock.”
The new project may also identify areas of current farming practice that have not been considered in the previous research, said Rutherford. This will allow future research to focus on issues of the most relevance to producers. “In this way, the survey provides a real opportunity for farmers to influence the direction of future research,” said Rutherford.

Sow longevity vital to pig producer profitability

Sow longevity should be the focus for pig producers who aim for maximum profitability, according to Mark Wilson, Ph.D., swine reproductive physiologist at Zinpro Corporation. The goal should be at least four litters per sow, said Wilson — it takes at least three successful parities for a replacement gilt to pay for herself, at which point a producer has covered most or all of the fixed costs for bringing the gilt into the herd.
While cost/benefit analyses show that a goal for gilt introductions should be around 35 percent to keep a swine herd’s parity distribution and returns optimized, current herd replacement rates are approximately 50 percent to 65 percent per year. “Unfortunately, early culling of gilts and young sows sets up a cascade effect within the herd,” said Wilson. Gilt retention rates within a herd can be improved up to 50 percent by implementing changes such as providing larger pen space per pig, utilizing better flooring and feeding a balanced diet. Addressing nutritional needs decreases feed costs, which account for 70 percent of a replacement gilt's cost, according to Wilson.
Lameness is also a factor that needs to be focused on. “Young sows are often culled due to feet and leg problems which hamper reproductive performance and profitability,” said Wilson. “Herd records show lameness accounts for up to 15 percent of total culls through the first parity.” Lameness and its stress on sows also influence reproduction through longer wean-to-estrus intervals, more non-productive sow days, smaller litter size and fewer pigs weaned. Maintaining a proper weight will reduce lameness and the resulting stress, which will raise retention and increase sow longevity.