Talking to those attending a joint Society of Feed Technologists and Meat and Livestock Commission conference of pig topics, Mr Houston said there were both challenges and opportunities open to the industry.

"There is a robust demand not just in the UK, but worldwide and coupled with a growth in premium markets, this provides a real opportunity for producers."

To meet this demand, foreign companies such as Danish Crown were consolidating. "However, this increase is not without its problems, with animal disease having had a major impact on world trade, exerting downward pressure on demand and confidence. On pig production PRRS, PMWS and PDNS have also had drastic effects on performance," adds Mr Houston.

Source: FWi