December 03, 2003

Japanese Impressed By UK Pig Production
 

UK pig production impressed a group of 15 Japanese producers, agents and advisers who recently completed a study tour hosted by JSR Genetics.

The group, comprising members of The Japan Cotswold Association, attended a technical seminar - covering topics on health, productivity and nutrition - before visiting Mr Graham Shooter's organic outdoor pig unit in Lincolnshire and Bishop Burton Agricultural College's recently-restocked indoor unit at Beverley, East Yorkshire.

The president of Cotswold Japan, Dr Manabu Sakanaka, led the group. The Japan Cotswold Association is an organisation established to promote better pig production and was set up by JSR Genetics' franchisee in Japan.

"The Japanese market - with around one million sows - is a very important and demanding one," commented Lynn Evans, JSR Genetics' export manager, responsible for the Japanese market. "Herd size averages about 150 sows, predominantly on family farms, although this is changing - as it is in Europe - with the smaller producers going out and the large corporate farms getting bigger."