AI standard launched next month
UK - The pig industry’s ‘AI standard’ will be launched Thursday September 7 at the Farmers Club in London.
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. |
The written standard, which is subject to annual independent audit, extends the concept of assurance back from the farm to the supplied genetics.
It is designed to underpin a challenge from BPEX to all English producers to increase numbers born alive by an extra pig a litter, to help increase the national pigs-per-sow-per-year average to 20.1.
The intention is to reduce variability of semen quality and to educate pig producers in AI techniques. Work on the programme started a year ago, following infertility problems on some units. All the main genetics companies have signed up.
There are four elements to the industry’s new AI programme: advice for producers; a national reference laboratory; on-farm recording to monitor progress; and the BPEX quality standard for semen.
ThePigSite News Desk