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 group was led by Dr Manabu Sakanaka, president of Cotswold Japan. 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."

Source: JSR Genetics - 2nd December 2003