Small Improvement To Feed Conversion Could Save Millions

Having suffered a number of problems, such as disease and poor prices, over the last 10 years the pig industry was urged to further reduce costs, writes Anna Lognonne in The Journal.

ACMC chairman Mr Curtis said: "Increased costs, mainly on the back of higher world energy prices, are going to hit our industry hard, whether we like it or not."

Disease, he said, had the biggest impact on margins and he questioned how many of the diseases, such as FMD, PRRS (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome) and PMWS (post-weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome), which had nearly broken the back of the British industry, actually originated in the UK. He said: "Before joining the EU, any germ plasm coming into our island had to go through strict quarantine. Since joining we have, through the help of our Government, helped our competitors generously by opening our doors to imported semen and live animals with almost no controls. The two latest viruses PRRS and PMWS have caused death, poor performance and high drug costs, while foot-and-mouth disease and swine fever prevented pigmeat exports for extended periods, thus reducing farm gate prices."

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