The unit’s owner, James Hart (pictured here, left, receiving the first batch of semen from ACMC’s Tim Clarke) says all services are currently carried out by AI. He will be nominating semen from Vantage Ultra boars, supplied from ACMC’s Yorkshire-based stud, near Hull. The semen will be delivered by post over a six-week period.

Finished pigs are sent away to F A Gill Ltd in the West Midlands where they kill out at an average of 81 kg deadweight. James is hoping that the nominated semen will result in better feed conversion and improved growth rates

“Because we individually collect semen and do not pool it, we can select specific boars with particular EBVs (Estimated Breeding Values) for required traits, such as feed conversion efficiency, which enables producers to tailor performance to their business needs,“ commented Matthew Curtis, ACMC’s managing director.