Background

The objective of the survey is to assess producers current methods of fallen stock disposal, the volume of fallen stock requiring disposal on pig units and the cost of that disposal using public collection services.

The survey also sought to analyse attitudes of pig producers towards the National Fallen Stock scheme, the current and intended rate of uptake of the scheme and to identify barriers for uptake of the scheme where producers indicated they had not registered for the service, The data presented below represents the results from 129 responses to the survey that operated from December 2004 to February 2005.

Additional comments from BPEX producer board members and other pig producers have been recorded with regard to the scheme and its operation.

Whilst the data presented is not comprehensive of all producers attitudes it provides some clear insights into attitudes of a number of pig producers with businesses ranging in size and location throughout Britain and provides a valuable insight into the current operation of the scheme, and in helping to identify opportunities as to how the NFSS may be improved for the British pig industry.

BPEX would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who contributed to this survey for their time and comments. The information provided by individual businesses is invaluable in helping BPEX and the National Pig Association in their discussions with the National Fallen Stock Scheme Company as to how the scheme may be improved for the benefit of the British pig industry.

Comments recorded in addition to those captured by the survey

• Biosecurity

  • The threat of disease spread is a major concern for a number of producers. There is considerable concern with regard to the levels of bio security being operated by a number of collectors in several regions of the country.
    
    

  • Many producers are concerned about the risk to the health status of individual herds posed by collectors moving from pig unit to pig unit without observing biosecurity best practice.
    
    

  • A number of producers have requested that standard operating protocols be established and observed by collection companies and also published so that producers are also aware and able to assist in the enforcement of such practices.

  
  
• Single Charge Rate Per Region

  • The current fee rate for using the collection service is very inflexible. Rates are set at a fixed rate per region and allow no flexibility with regard to distance of volume of material to be collected and disposed. In some instances it is more viable for producers to continue pre-existing arrangements with operators outside the scheme as more advantageous rates can be negotiated.

  
  
• Rendering charges have increased in line with support funding from National Fallen Stock Scheme

  • In a number of regions producers have reported sharp increases in collection charges shortly prior to the introduction of the National Fallen Stock Scheme. In many instances these increases have equated to similar or exactly the same amounts as the Fallen Stock Support payment. This would suggest that some operators are looking to exploit the current scheme structure for their own direct benefit through significantly enhancing their charges in the expectation of payments from the NFSS.

  
  
• Limited choice of companies providing a collection service

  • Pig producers in Scotland and England have reported that in some regions there is a shortage of operators participating in the scheme. In extreme cases either one or no operators are providing a service through the fallen stock scheme.

Further Information