Saturday 26 May 2012
Headlines
Did you find this story interesting? (0) (0)
31/05/2011 14:27:14
Awards for top East Anglian Pig Co producers
An urgently needed increase in the retail price of pork would make a major difference in sustaining the UK pig industry, said Jim Burling, pig production manager of East Anglian Pig Co, at its second annual awards evening at Diss, Norfolk.
Mr Burling said that a rise of around five per cent in retail selling prices was needed to counter the impact of record high feed prices and to halt pig producers sending their breeding stock to slaughter.
He told almost 100 pig finishers at the evening sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health that the industry had come a long way in becoming more professional, raising health, nutritional standards and responding to the demand for higher welfare products. All their company’s pigs are reared on straw to meet higher welfare standards.
But, he said, there is an additional cost in adopting these systems and he was particularly concerned about the availability of straw with the drought across Eastern England certain to hit supplies at harvest.
Mark Rawding, agricultural manager of Cranswick Country Foods, spoke about the difficult but vital operation of slap marking to identify pigs into the processing plant and the further trial work planned to help improve this task.
Steve Youngs, partner of the Oakwood Veterinary Practice, said that with the overall pig health much improved recently the BPHS monitoring scheme at the Cranswick factory at Watton was playing a useful role in identifying seasonal disease levels in pigs.
"We are keen to support events such as this which encourage high standards and provide a boost to morale particularly at a time when the pig industry is going through a difficult phase in coping with high feed costs," commented Freddie French, key account manager with Pfizer.
The awards based on 2010 performance were presented to:
Best under 1300 places — William Crosse, Baldock, Hertfordshire, who finishes batches of 500 pigs on a mixed farm which also has arable and sheep enterprises.
Best over 1300 places — Neville Green, of Tibenham, Diss, Norfolk, a specialist family farm which has been supplying the Watton factory for more than 30 years.
Most improved unit — Dean Charlton, of Fakenham, Norfolk, who made the greatest rise up the ’league table’ of farms
Tidiest and best presented unit — John Durrant, Stowmarket, Suffolk, a large finisher of pigs with extensive arable activities who ’always runs a tidy unit with attention to detail’, added Mr Burling.
Oakwood healthiest unit — Tim Francis, Halesworth, Suffolk, described as ’a high quality unit with excellent records and systems that minimize medicine use’.
 | Left to Right: Neville Green, Mark Rawding (Cranswick), Dean Charlton, William Crosse, John Durrant, Tim Francis, Steve Youngs Oakwood Veterinary Practice) Jim Burling (EAP) Charles Bowes (EAP) |
 | Neville Green being presented with his Award by Jim Burling |
 | William Crosse being presented with his award by Jim Burling |
Mr Burling said that a rise of around five per cent in retail selling prices was needed to counter the impact of record high feed prices and to halt pig producers sending their breeding stock to slaughter.
He told almost 100 pig finishers at the evening sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health that the industry had come a long way in becoming more professional, raising health, nutritional standards and responding to the demand for higher welfare products. All their company’s pigs are reared on straw to meet higher welfare standards.
But, he said, there is an additional cost in adopting these systems and he was particularly concerned about the availability of straw with the drought across Eastern England certain to hit supplies at harvest.
Mark Rawding, agricultural manager of Cranswick Country Foods, spoke about the difficult but vital operation of slap marking to identify pigs into the processing plant and the further trial work planned to help improve this task.
Steve Youngs, partner of the Oakwood Veterinary Practice, said that with the overall pig health much improved recently the BPHS monitoring scheme at the Cranswick factory at Watton was playing a useful role in identifying seasonal disease levels in pigs.
"We are keen to support events such as this which encourage high standards and provide a boost to morale particularly at a time when the pig industry is going through a difficult phase in coping with high feed costs," commented Freddie French, key account manager with Pfizer.
The awards based on 2010 performance were presented to:
Best under 1300 places — William Crosse, Baldock, Hertfordshire, who finishes batches of 500 pigs on a mixed farm which also has arable and sheep enterprises.
Best over 1300 places — Neville Green, of Tibenham, Diss, Norfolk, a specialist family farm which has been supplying the Watton factory for more than 30 years.
Most improved unit — Dean Charlton, of Fakenham, Norfolk, who made the greatest rise up the ’league table’ of farms
Tidiest and best presented unit — John Durrant, Stowmarket, Suffolk, a large finisher of pigs with extensive arable activities who ’always runs a tidy unit with attention to detail’, added Mr Burling.
Oakwood healthiest unit — Tim Francis, Halesworth, Suffolk, described as ’a high quality unit with excellent records and systems that minimize medicine use’.
|
Farming items for Sale
|
Massey Ferguson 698 - York
(Price on Application)
(Price on Application)
Massey Ferguson 6480 - Biddenden(GBP 38188)
John Deere 8430 - Shrewsbury(GBP 95450)
John Deere - 6830P TRACTOR - Norwich(GBP 37750)
Used John Deere 8520T - York(GBP 36500)
Related News
East Anglian pig producers save £1 million - 28 Jul 2009Members of the AtlasFram Group’s Pig Group in East Anglia have saved more than £1,000,000 on the cost of feed for their herds during the last tw...
East Anglian pig farmers invited to farm health workshop - 13 Nov 2007A workshop for local small-scale pig producers is taking place next week in Bedfordshire offering advice on putting together a farm health plan. A ...
Rich Haul of Great Taste Awards For North East Food Producers - 08 Sep 2006North East food producers have excelled themselves at this year's Great Taste Awards in London by winning no fewer than 36 gold, silver and bronze cer...
Survey shows East Anglian farmers earning less than the minimum wage - 13 Sep 2005East Anglian farmers have seen profits over the past year slump by £48 an acre and many are earning less than the minimum wage – these are two of the ...
The Future of East Anglian Sugar Beet - 04 Nov 2007Considering the future of sugar beet in East Anglia, a leading farm business consultant is advising growers to do their sums carefully for 2009 and to...
Potato Event presents new ideas for East Anglian growers - 19 Aug 2008East Anglian potato growers have a valuable chance to get a grip on rapidly escalating input costs, with an exciting presentation of the latest ideas ...
Top pig award is up for grabs - 18 Jun 2009The British pig industry is standing at a crossroads following trying times. Through the difficulties many people have worked doggedly, giving their a...
Top pig award - time is running out - 17 Aug 2010Time is running out to nominate somebody to receive this year’s prestigious David Black Award for service to the pig industry. This is the 50...
East Yorkshire egg co-operative helps North Yorkshire farmer’s wife raise thousands for Yorkshire Cancer Research - 28 Jan 2008The innovative East Yorkshire egg marketing co-operative EggSell lent its support to a North Yorkshire charity fundraiser that raised over £4000 durin...
Co-op revolution wins Good Egg Award - 22 Nov 2004The Co-op has staged a free range revolution in its stores across Britain. In just six years it has transformed the free range share of its total eggs...
