A consortium of interest groups in the EU pig industry is seeking funding of €2 million (US$2.179 million) from the Union for a project to disseminate best practice and research results.
The consortium of pig research, knowledge transfer and producer partners, which calls itself the EU Pig Innovation Group, or EU PIG, has formed a network to coordinate, collaborate and share findings from existing pre-farm gate research, share best practices on technical production, and exchange approaches to knowledge transfer.
The €2-million EU funding, which is being sought under Horizon 2020, the EU's research and innovation funding scheme, is due to be submitted next month.
EU PIG is being coordinated by Charlotte Evans, technical innovation manager for AHDB Pork, who said they submitted an application last year "but missed out by the narrowest of margins".
"[W]e were just half a point behind so we are hopeful we'll be more successful this time", she added.
Evans said the consortium comprises 19 organisations representing 13 member states, which together accounted for 92% of the EU's pig meat production and 89% of the EU's pig herd in 2014.
'Most effective way'
"There are national and regional pig producer groups, researchers, rural development boards, innovation practitioners and SMEs. EU PIG partners have a common desire to share and present best practice and research results on four specific themes: pig health management, precision production, welfare and meat quality", she said.
"This is the most effective way of gathering information and getting it out to levy payers while avoiding duplication. The main focus will be on topical issues that are relevant today, not work that was done 10 years ago.
"We will be looking at pulling together knowledge that is not only in people's heads but also books, papers, reports and on websites", she added.
The organisations in the consortium include: Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Beta Technology Ltd (Beta), Zuidelijke Land en Tuinbouworganisatie (ZLTO), Stichting Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek (DLO), Institute for Food and Agriculture Research and Technology (IRTA);
Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali (CRPA), Boerenbondvereniging voor Projecten vzw/Innovatiesteunpunt (BBP), Agriculture and Food Development Authority (TEAGASC), Agrifood and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Vetmeduni Vienna (VV), Interprofession Nationale Porcine (INAPORC), SEGES PS (SEGES), Deutscher Raiffeisen-verband e.V (DRV);
Vágóállat és Hús Szakmakozi Szervezet és Terméktanács (VHT), Szkola Glowna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego (SGGW), Polski Zwiazek Hodowcow/Producentow Trzody Chlewnej Polsus (POLSUS), Animal Health ETT (ETT/Sikava), Gran Suino Italiano (OI GSI) and Institut du Porc Association (IFIP).
