November 29, 2006

British pig farmers urged to invest and standardise

The British pig industry should invest in new equipment to secure its future, Farmex director, Hugh Crabtree, told members of the Suffolk Pig Discussion Group, part of the British Pig Project (BPP).

Crabtree suggested that farmers should take a look at the big picture and should not focus merely on pound per kg throughput, but return on investment. He stressed that when a clear return on investment could be seen, they would then have the confidence to invest.

Pig housing is an important part of performance, Crabtree said. Rather than focusing on standardised buildings with known performances, half the UK pig farmers usually chose those home built types while the other half bought package-deal buildings.

Crabtree highlighted the need for standardisation for different market segments -- particularly finishing houses so pig performance could be monitored and linked to a contract and thus ensure an acceptable return on investment.

Crabtree warned that there is a need for co-operation between the production sectors to hasten the much-needed restructuring. He also said the pig industry could take a leaf from the book of the poultry industry and encourage new blood into the industry.

Since its launch in May this year, the BPP, a housing blueprint for the British pig industry, had attracted much interest.