National Pig Association THE VOICE OF THE UK PIG INDUSTRY NPA is active on members' behalf in Brussels & Whitehall, and with processors, supermarkets & caterers - fighting for the growth and pros-perity of the UK pig industry.

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Avoid the form-filling when you arrive at Stoneleigh. Download and complete this pre-registration form, and simply hand it in when you arrive. You'll be through the gates much faster.

All change at Defra

All change at Defra Lord Bach was to have opened British Pig and Poultry Fair. It is possible (but not very likely) his successor will attend in his place. His successor as farming minister will be Ian Pearson, Barry Gardiner, Baroness Cathy Ashton or Ben Bradshaw. (The new Defra team's responsibilities have not been announced at time of writing, Sunday May 7.)

Want to know what the supermarkets are up to?

By Digby Scott

Sometimes the marketing pros at MLC read this website and punch the air with glee.

At other times (quite often in fact) they slump forward on their desks groaning in despair because you, me, or whoever, is having a go at the wrong retailer, as they see it.

Then George Dunn, MLC marketing consultant, reaches for the phone, rings me, and we have a nice little argument.

But why should I have all the fun? George and his buddy Simon Brookes have issued an open invitation for YOU to visit them on the BPEX stand at Pig Fair, and put your questions about retailers.

There isn't much these gentlemen don't know about their subject and they look forward to briefing all pig-keepers who are interested on the current position with retailers. You'll hear some negatives for sure... but you'll hear some positives as well.

New 'information theatre' at Pig Fair

A new information and advice theatre will be the platform for hot topics affecting the pig and poultry industries at British Pig and Poultry Fair, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire on May 9 and 10. Organisers of the Pig and Poultry Fair, Haymarket Land Events, is placing the new information and advice theatre in the combined pig and poultry area. All producers are welcome to attend.

TIMETABLE
New Information and Advice Theatre (To be held in the Combined Area at the British Pig and Poultry Fair)
Tuesday 9 May
12pm	Devenish Nutrition New approaches to pig nutrition
1pm	Environment Agency IPPCs & Agricultural Waste Regulations
3pm	NFU IPPC & Agricultural Waste Regulations
Wednesday 10 May
10am	NFU Best Practice for Planning Applications (including diversification)
11am	Agrosoft Breaking Through – advantages of on-farm data recording
1pm	Environment Agency IPPCs & Agricultural Waste Regulations
2pm	DEFRA Climate change

British Pig Project

A 16-page booklet summarising the four standardised housing designs produced by the British Pig Project will be available at British Pig and Poultry Fair. You will be able to pick up a copy at the BPEX stand, where there will also be an opportunity to browse the full British Pig Project 200-page manual.

For those who are serious about investing in new housing, at the back of the booklet is an order form for the manual. The aim of the British Pig Project is to encourage more efficient production in the British pig industry, and to minimise investment costs by weaning farmers away from expensive one-off designs and onto standardised housing models.

The four British Pig Project models are as follows:

1. 560-pig place straw-based wean-to-finish building.
2. Traditional UK-style 1000-place slurry-based finisher building.
3. 1000-place slurry-based finisher using clear-span portal building.
4. US-style 1000-place slurry-based finisher building.

New Product Awards

There are 22 entries in the New Product Awards. These will be judged 10am-1pm on Tuesday May 9 by Ian Smith, Simon Guise, Cameron Naughton and Thomas Wheatley-Hubbard. The winning new products will be announced 1.30pm on the Pig World stand.

Pig Industry Service Award

The Pig Industry Service Award will be presented 9.15am Tuesday May 9. Everyone in the British pig industry was eligible to make nominations for this award. There were 11 nominations, all of an exceptionally high standard. These were judged by Professor John Moverley, chief executive of the Royal Agricultural Society of England; Clive Beddall, OBE, former editor of The Grocer and a member of the steering group of the Food Chain Centre; and Rev. Dr. Gordon Gatward, director of the Arthur Rank Centre.

Pig Central feature Seminars

The Pig Central Feature is on Stand 337 in the Pig Hall (hall two). This year’s themes embrace continuous professional development, environmental legislation, improving herd health and how to invest wisely in new housing.

DAY ONE

10.00am How to improve productivity through continuous professional development (chairman Wendy Kent)

11.30am Environmental legislation – how it will affect you (chairman Duncan Prior)

1.30pm Improving herd health (chairman Mark Wilson)

3.00pm How to invest wisely in housing (chairman John Godfrey)

DAY TWO

10.00am How to improve productivity through continuous professional development (chairman Wendy Kent)

11.15am Environmental legislation – how it will affect you (chairman Duncan Prior)

1.00pm Improving herd health (chairman Mark Wilson)

2.15pm How to invest wisely in housing (chairman Stewart Houston)

Contract finishing

Potential newcomers to the industry will be attending Pig Fair to research contract finishing opportunities. When they visit the NPA stand they will be put in touch with producers attending the event who are looking for extra finishing capacity.

If you are an NPA Producer who wishes to be included on the real-time contact list please email by May 5 (1) Your name, (2) Your mobile number (for contacting you at Pig Fair, (3) Which days you will be at Pig Fair, and (4) Which geographic regions you operate in.

New housing (British Pig Project)

The British Pig Project blueprint for standardised finisher housing will be launched on the BPEX stand at Pig Fair. Existing finishers and potential newcomers to the industry will doubtless be seeking further information.

If you have been involved with the British Pig Project (consultant, manufacturer, equipment supplier etc) but won't be based on the BPEX stand, and would welcome contact from interested parties, please email by May 5 your details for a real-time contact list on the BPEX, NPA and Pig World stands.

We need (1) Your name and company, (2) Your mobile phone number (for contacting you at the show), (3) Your stand number if applicable, and (4) Your area of expertise.

The PigSite Newsdesk