A farmer who calls himself 'the voice of the pig' has beaten off stiff competition from 15 nominees to win an award for his outstanding contribution to farm animal welfare.
East Anglian farmer Mark Jagger has won the award as part of the RSPCA Assured’s first-ever awards for pig and poultry members.
With a background in dairy, beef and sheep, pigs weren’t originally part of Mark’s career plan but luckily for pigs, he changed his mind.
His achievements for pig welfare are extensive and his dedication to promoting the adoption of systems that benefit both health and welfare is widely recognised in the industry.
RSPCA Assured’s panel of judges were particularly impressed by Mark’s design and manufacturing of a drinking system for pigs in 2014, aptly known as “The Jags”.
Inspired by the men’s urinal at the Norfolk Show in 2013, his design for a urinal-like trough with drinking nipples above it reduces water wastage, whilst helping improve pig health, and has been widely adopted.
Dr Zoe Davies, chief executive of the National Pig Association, and judge of the award, said: “It’s clear Mark is passionate about his job, particularly pioneering clean water for pigs.
"He has helped improve the lives of many pigs through his inventions over the years, whilst working for BQP. It’s not always easy to make changes when part of a large organisation but, somehow, he always manages it.
"His dedication pays off and he really does deserve this award.”
Commenting on his win, Mark said he was 'humbled' to win the award: "To be recognised for the work I’ve done over the last few years really means a lot to me," he said.
"When I first started farming, a local farmer, John Wrench OBE, said to me 'a happy animal is a healthy animal, and a healthy animal will grow and earn you money'. This has been my mantra ever since.
“The pig industry is close-knit and I believe that anything we develop that is good for the health and welfare of our pigs should be shared with our neighbours, so they can help improve the health of their herds too.
"We all benefit in the end - both the people and the pigs.”
