February 9, 2011

Britain to boost pig meat output through the Two-Tonne Sow scheme 

An ambitious project aimed to significantly boost pig meat production is rapidly forming in Britain, where a growing number of producers are joining what has been loosely defined as the "Two-Tonne Sow" (2TS).

The aim of this innovative three-year programme is to lift the UK industry's average production from its present 1,608 kg of pig meat per sow per year at the bottom of the EU's rankings up to at least the current EU average of 2,000 kg per pig per sow per year.

Dreamt up by the technical and marketing teams at the British Pig Executive (BPEX), the 2TS campaign is also geared to ensure that British producers-and the industry as a whole-are in a position to maintain their competitiveness in the global market.

"This is an extremely important target for us. We are currently lagging behind countries like Ireland, which has an annual industry average of 1,789 kg/ sow/ year, and Germany (1,993 kg/ sow/ year), while France, Denmark and the Netherlands top 2,000 kg a year. Closing this performance gap is crucial to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the English pig sector. Producers here must do something soon to ensure they are in a strong position to sustain profitability even when the market place and exchange rates are less favourable," said Dr Mike Varley, head of knowledge transfer, research and development, at BPEX.

Varley said the programme, which was launched in the spring in 2010, had been specially designed to improve the financial performance and sustainability of every English herd, as well as increase production while at the same time reduce the sector's environmental impact on the land.

"It's all about improving performance at all stages of productivity from litters per sow per year and the number born alive through to litter variation, mortality, growth rate and slaughter weight, as well as health. But, most importantly, it calls for commitment and attention to detail," Dr Varley said.

Recognising that there is a variety of production systems in operation across the country, the campaign has been broken down into six bite-sized chunks, each one focusing on a particular area so that everybody can participate in the national effort. These six 'pillars' are: SBlt Breeding, SBlt Nutrition, SBlt Health, SBlt Finishing, SBlt Buildings and SBlt Staff training.

Management Kicking off with gilt management and reproduction management this year, a series of national, regional and local seminars, workshops and training courses featuring international experts like Wageningen University & Research Centre scientific director Prof Bas Kemp and his colleague Dr Nicoline Soede, took a closer look at the latest breeding management systems that could help the UK producers get larger litters and an increased number of piglets weaned.

They focused on providing UK producers with latest tips on gilt management, and reproduction, with a closer look at genetics, insemination techniques, AI technology, and how to establish pregnancy, as well as farrowing and caring for piglets, while also outlining some of the challenges they could face – such as second litter drop syndrome and stress.