y

Latest estimates from AHDB Pork show thattotal pig production costs in the secondquarter of 2015 were at their lowest levelfor 5 years. Despite this, the average costsof 139p/kg were still over 2p above the average pig price (EU-spec APP) during thequarter, meaning that producers lostmoney for the second period in a row. Thisfollows around 18 months of profitabilityfor GB producers, although they have beenin a loss-making position more often thannot over the last decade. Compared with ayear earlier, costs had fallen 15p/kg but pigprices by 28p, moving producers fromprofit to loss. However, costs were around8p/kg lower than in the first quarter of theyear, while pig prices fell by about half thisamount, meaning producer margins improved somewhat during the quarter. The reduction of costs was largely driven

by a combination of further improvementsin the productivity and efficiency of theherd and lower feed prices. The latter, combined with better feed conversion,

meant that feed costs made up only 55% of the total, 10 points lower than when feedprices were at their peak level in winter2012-13. Improvements in breeding

performance also helped to reduce costsoverall, although this was partly offset bythe depressed cull sow price and lighter finished pig carcase weights •

Production costs at five-year low

Number: 22 October 2015

The Pink Pages

Source: Defra

UK weekly clean pig slaughterings

Sources of pig meat consumed in the UK

Comparison of UK and EU pig reference prices

Source: AHDB Market Intelligence, EU Commission

Source: Defra, HMRC

GB average retail pork carcase price and DAPP

Source: AHDB Market Intelligence

The average referenceprice for exporters to the UK is a weighted average based on the percentage of UK pork imports originating from each member state.

Fact

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Go to: http://pork.ahdb.org.uk/prices-stats/costings-herd-performance/cost-of-production-and-net-margins/

Total cost of pig production compared with pig prices

Source: AHDB Market Intelligence

Pig

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ion New field drainage guide

Browse the events calendar and map at: pork.ahdb.org.uk/events/Go to: pork.ahdb.org.uk/meet-the-team/

AHDB Pork pig clubs, producer workshops andtraining courses are running throughout autumn and winter around the country.The knowledge exchange team’s local events

programme this season covers topics and activities including: benchmarking, virtual farmtours, farrowing house management, biosecurity and environment issues.Plus, there are national pig industry

conferences, including the AHDB Outlook conference in February, which looks at globalmarkets and economic challenges for all livestock sectors, as well as the Practical PigEvents running at six venues in November andDecember.Event details and contacts are available on

the AHDB Pork online events map. The map iscolour-coded and searchable by event type, region and date, and details of each event canbe saved directly to an Outlook calendar.Anyone in the industry can also submit

details of their own events or discussiongroups to add to the calendar •

The AHDB Pork team covers a wide range ofwork on behalf of pig producers and processors – from on-farm reviews or stafftraining to help improve production, to developing new export markets to increasedemand for UK pork products. To help producers and processors contact

the right people to help with different aspects of their businesses, the AHDB Porkwebsite has a ‘meet the team’ section withphotos, job titles, contact details and summaries of experience. It’s possible either to browse the team

using the subheadings for knowledge transfer, prices and statistics and marketingetc or use the search function to find detailsfor a name that’s already known. The AHDB Pork team encourages all

English pig levy payers to get in touch if they

need any assistance in progressing theirbusiness or have suggestions on what they’dlike from AHDB Pork. The team’s purpose isto help enhance competitiveness, efficiencyand profitability •

Find local meetings

The AHDB field drainage guide can be downloaded from cereals.ahdb.org.uk/publications

The principles of field drainage, maintenanceand installation are the subject of a new practical AHDB guide. By refreshing knowledge on drainage, it is

hoped the guide will help stem the decline inUK drainage investment.Guide co-author Kirk Hill, ADAS Senior Soil

and Water Engineer, said: “Soils in a well-drained state tend to work more easilyand provide yield benefits. To control drainage,the first thing to do is rummage around the

farm office for drainage plans or create a newplan showing pipes, outfalls and ditches.“Once located, blocked outfalls can be

cleared with a spade in a matter of minutesand blocked drains cleared using a rod or a jetto rejuvenate an entire field.”For farmers considering installing a new

system, the guide provides outline costs andreal-life case studies. All drainage systems work best in tandem

with good soil structure, because if soil is

compacted, it impedes the flow of water to thepipes. The guide also features information onsubsoiling and topsoil loosening and detailswhen it is appropriate to supplement thedrainage system with mole drains •

Meet the AHDB team

Andrew Palmer

KT Manager – East

andrew.palmer@ahdb.org.uk

07976 443 454

Stephen Winfield

KT Team Lead and Corporate

Account Manager

stephen.winfield@ahdb.org.uk

07891 656 784

Kate Mellor

KT Manager – South

kate.mellor@ahdb.org.uk

07973 701 202

Angela Cliff

KT Manager – Midlands

angela.cliff@ahdb.org.uk

07967 788 484

Richard Bows

KT Manager – North

richard.bows@ahdb.org.uk

07816 941 223

Pig Productio

n

Six practical pig events are being run byAHDB Pork around the country, from Yorkshire to Devon, this November and December. The events will offer practical takehome messages for people who work withpigs day-to-day so would be useful for managers, stockpeople and contract finisherproducers alike. Topics include selecting pigsfor sale, small pig management and land andsoil management, plus there will be updateson field trials on new innovations. They are all part of AHDB Pork’s activities

to help close the technical performance gapbetween English pig producers and theircompetitors, as part of its Going for Growthstrategy. The dates and locations are:

• 17 November 2015, The Bridge, Wetherby

• 18 November 2015, Beverley Race Course

• 25 November 2015, The Granary, Kidderminster

• 1 December 2015, Exeter Golf and Country Club

• 2 December 2015, Holiday Inn, Winchester

• 9 December 2015, Diss Rugby Club •

New training calendarThe new AHDB Pork training calendar is nowavailable, providing all the dates and venuesacross the regions. AHDB Pork skills and training co-ordinator

Sam Bowsher said: “There will be nine training courses, together with a further ninead hoc sessions covering both technical andmanagement subjects.“For this year, we have revamped the

session briefs, updated the content andworked with the trainers to develop an interactive system of delivery to make themboth more interesting and more relevant.”Phil Thatcher, who went on the Stockman

Development Scheme in Exeter this year said:“I was able to take a lot of practical ideasfrom the stockman training to implement at work. I am hoping to continue my training with the StockmanPlus Scheme next year.”While, Tony Wright from

Shedden Farms and AHDBPork Skills Sector Championsaid staff training was veryimportant to the business:“It increases staff retention,increases their self-worth,their knowledge and understanding of productionis improved and I believe thisleads to increased herd performance and profitability.”•

For more information, go to:pork.ahdb.org.uk/events/

Sign up to disease charter

All pig producers are urged to join the significant disease charter, which helps itsmembers share information quickly, makingthe control and elimination of disease easierand faster. It enables alerts to be sent to fellow members about cases of swine dysentery and PED.So far, it covers some 40,000 sows across

the country as part of the overall plan totackle PEDv should it arrive in the UK. Thecharter is run by AHDB Pork on behalf of thePig Health and Welfare Council and is an extension of the swine dysentery charter.AHDB Pork veterinary manager Martin

Smith said: “It is part of a joined-up approach across industry which has provedextremely effective in Canada.“Allied to this is a series of standard

operating procedures which have all beenpublished on the AHDB Pork website. Thesetell people across the supply chain what theirresponsibilities are in the event of an outbreak and also defines the lines of communication.“Martin said: “While 40,000sows is a good start for the charter, it stillonly represents 10% of the national herd. Iwould urge all producers to sign up as thecharter is for their benefit.”Note, members of the original swine

dysentery charter also now need to registerfor the updated and extended significant disease charter. To sign up, go to:http://www.pighub.org.uk/iip/home.eb•

Sam Bowsher

Go to: pork.ahdb.org.uk/skills-training/training-programmes/

To download the standard operating procedures for PEDv, go to: http://pork.ahdb.org.uk/health-welfare/health/emerging-diseases/pedv/standard-operating-procedures/

Martin Smith

Practical pigevents

BPEX The Pink Pages January 2014

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© Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board 2015. All rights reserved.

AHDB Pork is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

Competition is hotting up

For more information

Tel: 024 7647 8811

pork.ahdb.org.uk

Hong Kong goes for British PorkLike all good Chinese, Hong Kong and Macaucitizens are keen on pork and suckling pigs.However, the market is fundamentally different from mainland China. Here reignbrands, differentiated products and gastronomy.

Of course, not everybody is wealthy in HongKong but there are plenty of people wantingpremium food: the affluent local Chinese, theexpatriate community and the 40 milliontourists who visit Hong Kong every year. Despite having the highest commercial

rents in the world, new restaurants open allthe time, some benefiting from massive investment. In practice, 69% of the food inHong Kong is consumed in food service.With little food produced or processed inHong Kong and with the traditional Britishleaning in the territory, this makes our presence desirable. We launched our meat offer at the Hofex

show in 2013 and have been busy promotingBritish pork products ever since. Firstly,sausages are very popular in Hong Kong andmany brands are already available in retailand food service. British premium brandedpork is a growing success, with product againavailable in stores and on restaurant menus. Other British pork products are also widely

available. These include bacon, ham, porkpies, pork scratching and even, in small volume, black pudding – all premium andmade from British pork. We exhibited in September at the Restaurant and Bar show inHong Kong.The latest development is that we are

pleased to report Melton Mowbray pork piesare now available in a major Hong Kong retailer (they were already available in Marks& Spencer stores). We will also support thegrowth of branded British pork sales over thecoming months •

When the UK, Australia and New Zealand arementioned in the same breath, the firstthought is usually of rugby, but the countriesalso take part in the Tri-Nations ButchersChallenge.AHDB Pork Master Butcher Keith Fisher is

heavily involved in mentoring the GB competitors as he has judged butchery competitions many times and knows what thejudges are looking for.Keith said: “This year’s competition took

place last month and Team GB were second

out of the three. Last year they were third sowe are keeping our fingers crossed for nextyear.”The team, all experienced butchers,

practised the competition several times before the trip to Auckland.They were giventhree hours to cut and prepare a side of beef,side of pork and a lamb carcase. Once that was out of the way, Keith moved

on to the International Young Butchers’ Competition in Utrecht, Holland, where hewas a member of the judging panel.

Keith said: “The competitors were chosenfor the skill they had already shown in competition and we took two young butchersplus a reserve.“They had to show their skill in six or seven

different disciplines such as cutting beef intothe individual muscles, preparing and cookinga regional dish, barbecuing, ready-to-eat andan open section.“Last year they were given a leg of lamb and

the pictures show the different ways they interpreted the challenge.” •

To find out more, go to:http://www.eblex-bpex-export.org.uk/

To find out more, go to: http://pork.ahdb.org.uk/porkforbutchers/

Jean-Pierre Garnier, Export Manager for AHDB Pork

Hong Kong Restaurant & Bar Show in September