April 12, 2007

UK hog producers urgently need new PCV2 vaccines
 

British hog producers urgently need new PCV2 vaccines to reduce cases of Porcine Dermatitis and Nephropathy Syndrome (PDNS) and significantly bring down salmonella levels, said Giles Penn of Yorkshire-based DRS Partnership in Pigs Ltd.

Pig Veterinary Society president David Burch shared the same concern, commenting that while the average mortality rate of British finishing pigs have levelled off at 6.5 percent, it is still 3 percent higher than that before Porcine Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS) and PDNS hit the country, with rates as high as 10 percent still reported in some herds.

Meanwhile, a British Pig Executive (BPEX) survey has revealed that UK hog producers are taking a cautious approach towards further investments due to concerns over potential returns, insufficient capital and uncertainty over pork demand.

While the industry as a whole has a more positive financial outlook this year than last year, domestic hog processors are more optimistic than producers.

There was roughly the same number of producers considering investments to meet environmental legislation requirements as those seeking to expand capacity.

Retailers, producers and processors were running at 100 percent, 69 percent and 62 percent of capacity respectively.