BRITISH PIG ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 2015

Transcription

1 BRITISH PIG ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 2015 Guy Kiddy with his Hampshire and Large White sows at the family s Solitaire Farm in Cambridgeshire. Andrew Robinson with the Elwes Cup The most prestigious trophy awarded for Gloucestershire Old Spots Pigs Steve Richardson with the Supreme Champion at the Cheshire Show Jane Mathews at home with one of one her Oxford Sandy & Black pigs

2 Guy Kiddy presented certificates and trophies to all the Pig of the Year heat winners after the final including these ones from Royal Norfolk Julian and Alice Newth receive the Supreme Champion trophy at the Royal Bath and West from Minster of Agriculture Liz Truss John Herbert receives an award from Marcus Bates at Staffordshire Show after retiring from judging Steve and Hayley Loveless celebrate double POY success with Lord Salisbury, Robert Overend and sponsor Michael Bartlett of Bartlett Insurance Supreme Champion at the BPA Spring Show and Sale - Burry Impish 6356 bred by Mr KM and Miss S Austin Andrew Wright of HMP North Sea Camp receives the Reserve Champion rosette for Colonyfreiston Black Lady 29 at the BPA National Show and Sale

3 British Pig Association Annual Report 2015 Chairman s Report Every three years our Association elects new representatives to serve on our Committees and Council. The elections have just been completed and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and give my Deputy Chairmen a chance to do the same. I am honoured to have been elected as Chairman of the Association for a second term. I have worked with pigs all of my life, pigs being a part of the family faming enterprise at Balsham. In 1988 my father stopped keeping pigs leaving the buildings vacant for myself and Melany to set up our own enterprise which started off with Gloucestershire Old Spots with various other breeds following. In 1998 we took over the Withersfield herd of Large Whites from Peter Kiddy. The herd was founded by my Grandfather in 1944 in the village of Withersfield near Haverhill in Suffolk and is now the oldest herd of Large White pigs in the BPA herd book. We started keeping Hampshire s in 2005 to satisfy a demand from commercial outdoor breeders who wanted a supply of boars that were not tied to one of the large breeding companies. This was not my first involvement with Hampshire s having kept a few myself in the early 1980s. I was also involved with Hampshire s whilst working for Paul Tebbitt who at the time had a herd at Eversden near Cambridge. We show all of our breeds extensively at the various shows on the eastern side of the country as well as at the Great Yorkshire. We have a small farm at Gamlingay on the Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire borders where, alongside the pigs we also have a flock of Norfolk Horn and Hebridean sheep, Red Poll cattle, poultry and a farm shop as well as a small arable enterprise. As well as the farm I operate an agricultural consultancy and training service. I am representing the Hampshire breed for a third term, the breed has gone from strength to strength over the last few years and I am keen to keep this momentum going. The breed has had great success in the show ring in recent years and this has no doubt had some influence in the current amount of interest shown in the breed. The last three years have been very difficult for pig producers with the effects of the global recession and high feed prices reducing the number of people buying pedigree pigs and the number of new members recruited to the association. However we have weathered the worst of the storm and continued to bring new pedigree breeders into the fold. Over the next three years we must start to build on the economic recovery and seek to turn more pedigree pig buyers into pedigree breeders. We must also ensure that our Association is on a firm financial footing as we know this will not be the last time that we will face such challenges. We must work closely with other organisations involved in pig keeping. First and foremost we must build a closer working relationship with AHDB-Pork and the other levy boards to which our members contribute. We must play a full role in working with them to shape their plans and help them to implement programmes for the benefit of all pig producers. It was with this in mind that I invited the new AHDB-Pork Chair, Meryl Ward to attend our last Council meeting and we will be looking at how we can work with the AHDB technical and knowledge transfer teams in the coming months. I have recently been elected to the Council of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and this is another organisation with whom we must work for the benefit of our shared membership. The BPA and RBST share many common goals. We must always avoid duplication of effort and maximise the benefits we can achieve for our rare and native breeds. I will be looking for every possible opportunity to foster cooperation and collaboration on projects where we can both contribute such as the Heritage Semen Bank. i

4 British Pig Association Annual Report 2015 Chairman s Report The breeders clubs are our partners in ensuring the survival of our pedigree breeds and the prosperity of the pedigree breeders on whom the breeds survival depends. We must maintain a good working relationship with all the breeders clubs and look at how we can share resources for the benefit of our mutual members. We should never forget the key role that clubs have played during the most difficult times for many of our breeds. We recognise that breeds do best when they have an enthusiastic breeders club working in partnership with the breed society. The announcement of the death of our previous Chief Executive, Grenville Welsh reminds us that we share a common heritage with the National Pig Association and I will be attending their producer group meetings. Although the majority of our members operate on a different scale to those of the NPA we face a common set of challenges in trying to make money out of pigs. We must be sure that we work with the NPA to remind everyone that good and bad practice is not determined by herd size. The BPA has a role in a number of national committees and organisations and we must devote time and resources to ensure that the interests of our members and the pigs that we have been recording for more than 130 years are well represented. The Pig Health and Welfare Council has important working groups covering surveillance, welfare, food safety and antimicrobial resistance under the overall Chairmanship of Jim Scudamore. The BPA has been involved in the work of the surveillance group as we try to prepare ourselves for the possible arrival of the new strains of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea. Progress is being achieved towards making this disease notifiable so that we have a better chance of containing it should the worst happen. We are very lucky to have had Bob Stevenson working on the Antimicrobial Resistance group. A new Pig Industry Medicine hub is being established by AHDB that will allow producers to keep their medicine records on line instead of in a book whilst at the same time enabling us to compile statistics on actual usage. Too often the assumption is made that livestock farming and in particular pig keepers are using too many antibiotics when there are no reliable figures or benchmarks on which to base such statements. BPA members and smaller producers must take part in this exercise and we must make sure that the new Hub works for all pig producers. Welfare and Food Safety are also key areas for our members. Too often we face food scares that can affect the public perception of the safety of pork. We must ensure that the process of seeking funding for scientific research is not the cause of unwarranted alarms about food safety that can affect our domestic and international markets. International markets are a key component of our pig price with up to a quarter of each pig slaughtered in the UK ending up on the export market. The loss of these markets would have a devastating effect on our pig prices and would be felt by all pig producers including pedigree breeders both big and small. Exports of pedigree breeding stock also have a key role in maintaining profitability. The recent shipment of breeding pigs to Nigeria illustrates the importance of exports to our pedigree breeders. There is also a healthy trade in breeding stock across the Irish Sea to our nearest neighbour and we must work with Irish breeders to make it as easy as possible for pigs to be registered in both the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The threat of disruption to export markets is very real and comes not only from exotic disease but also the perceived threat of food safety issues as mentioned above. There are also economic factors such as exchange rates and political issues such as the trade embargoes with Russia that can disrupt trade. One way in which we can reduce the risk is by having access to as many overseas markets as possible and so the BPA must continue to play a leading role in the UK Export Certification ii

5 British Pig Association Annual Report 2015 Chairman s Report Partnership. UKECP works with Defra to open new markets for livestock products and genetics. We are currently working towards a pig semen certificate for Japan which would create new opportunities for both modern and traditional breeds. The Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR) Committee has a key role to play in the future of pedigree pig breeding. The Committee has several important workstreams in which the BPA is involved. The Zootechnics working group is monitoring the introduction by Brussels of a new regulation covering the recognition and operation of breed societies. It is a very complex and time consuming process which requires a lot of resources. The new regulation covers many aspects of the Association s work including the running of herdbooks, upgrading, performance testing and genetic evaluation. As well as ensuring that we avoid the introduction of unwelcome new rules we must also ensure that our existing programmes are all well documented in advance so that we can transition them into the new regime when it is introduced. The Exotic Disease working group is looking at how Breeds at Risk policy which is set out on paper can actually be applied in the face of the huge challenges that come with an actual outbreak. Experience of previous outbreaks and Defra exercises has shown that there is tremendous pressure to stamp out the disease as quickly as possible and the idea of sparing animals from culling can be seen as a distraction from the main purpose. We must work with the local Animal and Plant Health Agency offices and vets to build trust and establish relationships that will enable them to take a short breath and consider Breeds at Risk in the heat of an eradication programme. To define Breeds at Risk we must be able to produce accurate figures on populations and their level of risk that Government can accept. The work of our Conservation Committee and the Bloodline Survey are essential to produce this information. We must work with government to have our survey data recorded and recognised as the official figures on which Breeds at Risk policy can be based. The FAnGR committee have developed a pilot monitoring scheme for all our farmed species and breeds and we must ensure that this project continues. The Committee is also developing a biodiversity indicator for FAnGR which will put us on an equal footing with wildlife and plants for conservation policy. The FAnGR committee also has an Ex-Situ Conservation group which is working to coordinate and record the conservation of stored genetic material such as semen and embryos. Together with the RBST we have developed our Heritage Genebank but there is still much work to do and we must find ways to increase existing programmes and look at other conservation methods. It s not enough to collect a few boars and put them away for ever. Breeds evolve and genebanks need to be constantly updated and replenished. Whilst working with government and other organisations on behalf of our members we must also ensure that the services we provide to members are efficient and up to date. We will be looking at an overhaul of our website to ensure that it is delivering the information and services that our members want. There are new forms of communication available including social media and we need to see which ones are useful to our membership and avoid those which would merely be a distraction for our hard working staff and volunteer committee members. iii

6 British Pig Association Annual Report 2015 Chairman s Report As part of this review we will also look at how we can do more to help our members sell their pigs and pork and how can we help protect our members from unfair competition. There is much to be done in the next three years and I am very much looking forward to working with my fellow Council members including Chris Coe who will continue to help with financial matters and Tracey Bretherton who will serve as our Youth Co-ordinator. We will aim to deliver a programme that will build on the success of the last 16 years and set us well on our way towards our first quarter century since relaunching as a pedigree association in Andrew Robinson - Chairman of the Breed Development and Conservation Committee Pedigree stock have always been part of my life. At home we milked a herd of Shorthorns for 65 years and my mother s family had herds of Red Polls and Large Whites. On leaving school I was given charge of the pigs, Wessex Saddlebacks crossed with Large White boars. In 1977 I bought my first GOS, joined the then NPBA and registered the first Foston pigs. With the onset of milk quotas we decided to change to a sucker herd. This coincided with George Styles reducing the Ribbesford herd and a major portion of George s pigs were purchased to expand to 150 sows. In 1985 Middle Whites were added, registered under my sister s Churchmews prefix. Both breeds were shown with great success throughout the 1980 s and early 90s. In 1994 a herd reduction sale was held, Foston Sambo 21 being sold for the British all breeds record price of 4000gns. Large Whites were added the same year. Currently we have a small herd of 12 GOS sows. I have been a Council member of the RBST which I joined in 1980 and served on various show committees. When the GOSPBC was formed in 1990 I was elected the first Chairman and again hold this post at the present time. I conducted the GOS bloodline survey till the GOS club was formed and since returning as a BPA GOS representative again have responsibility for this. I have been privileged to judge widely over the last 20 years and am a member of the All Breeds/Modern/Traditional/GOS and MW judges lists. This year frozen semen from two Gloucestershire Old Spots and two Large Black boars has been shipped to the USA using the latest dry shipper technology which greatly reduces the cost of the freight as the tank no longer has to be treated as hazardous cargo. We look forward to hearing about the results of the inseminations. Meanwhile back in the UK three of the five Landrace Lines identified for freezing have already been added to the tank Candidus Duke and Hamster and plans are in hand to add the Hawk and Royal Eros lines later this year. In addition to the Landrace boars we have also been able to add a Golden Ball boar which leaves only the Golden Ranger line to complete the full set of Tamworth lines. A Welsh boar from the Imperial line has also been added and an additional Oxford Sandy & Black is scheduled for later in the year. This takes the total number of straws in the BPA tank to 1300 from 61 boars representing 44 different lines from all 10 of native breeds at risk. We have also successfully tested our semen bank by recycling semen from two of the oldest boars in the tank to produce litters from which boars semen has been collected. It is important that we continue to update our genebank to reflect the fact that breeds are always evolving. Whilst recognising the importance of the showring and pork promotion my main interests are conservation and breed development/integrity and I am looking forward to working with my new team to build on the achievements of the last three years. iv

7 British Pig Association Annual Report 2015 Chairman s Report Steve Richardson - Chairman of the Show Committee I was born into a farming family and have worked in agriculture all my life. For the last 20 plus years I have concentrated on traditional breeds of livestock. I run the Finnington Herd with my partner Janice Wood - breeding, promoting and successfully exhibiting Large Black and British Landrace pigs at agricultural shows. In 2013 we won the coveted BPA Pig of the Year competition. I was elected to represent the Large Blacks as a Breed Rep, and have served as such for the last 6 years. I am on the All Breeds judging panel and I am currently Vice-Chairman of the Large Black Pig Breeders Club. During my last term the BPA Show Committee has tried to create a transparent and level playing field in the showring so that all our members can show their stock and positively showcase the benefits of British Pedigree pigs and pork to the general public and agricultural industry. Shows are our shop window and under our charitable aims we need to promote good practice in all areas of pig husbandry, to improve the quality of stock, increase numbers and maintain genetic variation. Over the last 3 years we have amended the existing Apprentice Judges Scheme so that potential judges can be assessed and appointed on their merits, and work their way up the lists after gaining practical experience. We have limited judges to less BPA shows each year, in order that exhibitors get the opportunity to be judged by different people throughout the season, and provide opportunities for more junior judges to gain the experience that was hard to achieve under the old system. We have also amended the breeding sow rule to make it clear that existing sow classes are for breeding animals and breeders striving for a commercial income from pig keeping. There is still more to do, and over the next 3 years we aim to build on what we have already achieved. We wish to forge closer links with show societies and to this end Marcus Bates, myself & Julian Newth have attended very positive meetings with several of the leading societies, and it is hoped that over the coming few months we will be able to see more. We will be talking to shows about how we can make more use of the BPA pedigree database to assist with entries and catalogues and reduce costs for all parties. Pedigree registration is the first level of quality control for our agricultural shows but once a pig has been registered there should be no further need for breeders or shows to retype any of this information. As well as helping with the financial challenges that shows face we must also recognise the challenge from those in our own industry who see showing as a threat to national biosecurity. We must ensure that that our shows and our members do not pose such a threat and help others to see that pigs at shows can be part of the AHDB strategy to improve the image of pork. The committee needs to look into the very complicated gilt rules relating to farrowing times and bring them in line for all breeds and make them easier to understand and implement. We must ensure that the rules we have are fit for purpose in the 21 st century and allow shows to put on classes for all our showing members. We must review our judges lists to make sure that they meet the needs of both exhibitors and show societies many of whom cannot afford individual breed judges. We must also find a new home and sponsorship for the Young Pig of the Year competition I look forward to working with my committee and the BPA Council to develop a programme of activity for the next three years and would invite all members to contact the committee with their ideas. We would also welcome volunteers to form regional groups to help organise events and assist at shows. v

8 British Pig Association Annual Report 2015 Chairman s Report Jane Mathews - Chair of the Pork and Education Committee. I grew up on a dairy farm near Chester. In addition to the cattle we kept a few pigs. For the last 8 years I have kept and bred Oxford Sandy & Black pigs. I have recently added a couple of Large Blacks to my gradually increasing herd. In addition to this I am involved in providing advice to the farming community on the myriad of rules and regulations that apply. I strongly believe in the conservation and preservation of our rare breeds and the importance of protecting the breed standard. Food security is increasingly important and the UK should be producing a much higher proportion of the food consumed here. Our rare breeds and breeders have a vital role to play in this and I am looking forward to working with my new committee and taking on the wider role of education and training along with pork promotion. Securing a commercial niche for our native breeds is one of the keys to their survival. I want to work closely with AHDB Pork to ensure that BPA members benefit from their knowledge transfer programmes and are better able to promote pedigree pork and in doing so protect our native breeds. During the next 3 years I would like the Committee to devise a range of educational material for members which could assist them to breed and fatten pigs and go on to produce, process and market their own pork products. This might take the form of a series of lectures and workshops, dedicated member pages on the BPA website and/or a manual of information available to members. Information and guidance would cover the various rules and regulations including labelling, food hygiene requirements and packaging. This should be carried out in partnership with the relevant regulatory bodies including the various Food Standards Agencies, The Chartered Institute for Environmental Health and National Training Services and industry bodies such as AHDB Pork in England as well as Hybu Cig Cymru (Meat Promotion Wales), Northern Ireland Pork and Bacon Forum and Quality Meat Scotland. Additionally I would like to negotiate some discounts on butchery equipment and packaging materials for BPA members with various manufacturers, as well as look at developing partnerships regionally with butchers to assist members with the production and packaging of their products. Educational activities could be extended to cover current issues within the industry - in particular the importance of biosecurity in the context of the spread of disease and disease risks to our pigs vi

9 British Pig Association Annual Report 2015 Chairman s Report BPA Junior Pig Club The Club continues to go from strength under the supervision of Tracey Bretherton and her team. This year they have been involved several new projects. Weaner pigs were reared and trained for competition at the English Winter Fair where the Club also held a Sausage Making Workshop. IN the spring 9 teams took part in the National Show Stars Competition which was a great success. A group attended the World Pork Expo in the USA and took part in events with their American counterparts. A Piggy Camp was held at Kate Humble s farm with lectures from our vet Bob Stevenson and other practical demonstrations. Club members were offered the chance to learn Artificial Insemination on a one day course at Harper Adams University. The team also took part in events at Great Yorkshire Show, Countryside Live and the East of England Autumn Food & Country Fair. A large number of sponsors have supported the club this year both large and small and we would like to thank them all for their generous donations Henderson Plastics Ltd B&S Sales Ltd Carrs Billington East Riding Farm Supplies Elanco Animal Health Finrone Systems Ltd Goosetree Farm Masseys Feed MSD Animal Health Pughs Piglets Schippers Ltd Members Awards We are very pleased to announce that four members have reached the landmark of 25 years of pedigree breeding and will be receiving a 25 year prefix certificate. The Courtbleddyn herd of Tamworths owned by Mrs B Warren of Pontypool, Gwent. The Huntinghall of British Saddlebacks owned by Mr T F Burn of Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland. The Slade Herd which began with British Saddlebacks and now breeds Welsh owned by Mrs H Tongue of Devauden, Gwent. The Smarden Herd of British Saddlebacks owned by M K Wilson of Ashford, Kent. The Council have also recognised the work of Alan Rose to advance the objects of the Association and he has been elected as an Honorary Life Member It is the long term commitment of pedigree breeders such as these that ensures the continued survival of our native breeds. vii

10 Pedigree Activity Litter notifications Berkshire British Landrace British Saddleback Duroc Gloucestershire Old Spots Hampshire Large Black Large White Mangalitza Middle White Oxford Sandy & Black Pietrain Tamworth Welsh Total Modern Breeds Birth Notifications Traditional Breeds Birth Notifications Herd Book Registrations Berkshire British Landrace British Saddleback Duroc Gloucestershire Old Spots Hampshire Large Black Large White Mangalitza Middle White Oxford Sandy & Black Pietrain Tamworth Welsh Total Modern Breeds Herd Book Registrations Traditional Breeds Herd Book Registrations viii

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35 The winning teams from the BPA Junior Pig Club at the National Show Stars event BPA veterinary consultant talks to Junior Pig Club members about animal health Barney Harwood from Blue Peter celebrates clearing the jump with Junior Pig Club members Charlotte and William Oliver at Great Yorkshire Junior Pig Club Members held a sausage making workshop at the English Winter Fair Mark Horsley with Judge David Price and his prize winning carcases at the English Winter Fair Mike and Jane Smith of Mikes Pork. First prize for Old English Sausage at the Welsh Winter Fair

36 Guy Kiddy won the award for Pedigree Breeder of the Year at the new National Pig Awards Chris Jackson (BPA Export Manager) receives an award at the VIV Asia show Miranda Squire the long serving Secretary of the Middle White Pig Breeders Club who died this year One of the first Landrace pigs arriving at Cambridge Airport in the 1950 s. The breed was added to the RBST Watchlist this year Nigel Overend of Deerpark Pedigree Pigs inspecting the BPA Heritage Semen Bank which has almost 1300 straws in storage and represents the high tech approach to Conservation Conservation can also be a simple business. Jeremy Andrews from Cornwall rescued this Tamworth sow from a flooded farm in Devon.