Did You Know ...?
In week ended 13 September the deadweight sow price reached almost 134p per kg. This is only 2p per kg below the GB DAPP quoted for the same week.  With a rise of almost 3p in the sow price on the week, by the end of this week the price paid for sows deadweight could be above that paid for clean pigs.  However, industry sources report that sow prices have now peaked as European sow prices have stabilised in recent weeks. 

Be the first to know about what has happened to the DAPP (available Wednesday) and the deadweight sow price (available Friday) by logging onto the market intelligence area of the BPEX site.

Knowledge Transfer:
Tip of the Week
Check arc direction, taking into consideration changes in prevailing wind directions, and review strawing up policy to maintain farrowing arc temperature (see Action for Productivity 2).

Pregnancy Scanning Day
After a request from a number of producers in the South West, Helen Thoday (BPEX) recently organised a pregnancy scanning training day at St David’s Vet Practice. The afternoon allowed producers to learn from Andrew Carr, a very experienced scanner from Larkmead Scanning Services, and to practice on sows in different stages of gestation. Further discussions over tea and scones included the cost of empty days, farm policies for NIPs and current pregnancy scanning routines. Tony O’Loughlin was also present to discuss sow health and Bob Gornall from Rotech explained about the different scanners available. Darren Cordingley, a unit manager from Somerset, said “I found the time with Andrew very interesting and I will definitely be investing in a real time scanner, I have Bob’s number!”

BPEX Devon and Cornwall Training Groups
The first season of meetings for the BPEX Devon and Cornwall training groups have gone with a bang. Over the last five months, a core group of businesses have sent their stock people to interactive training sessions at local venues. The group varied from enthusiastic, but inexperienced, stock people to managers and owners who have committed fully to staff development. Many of the less experienced stock people were allowed time out of their working day for ongoing training to gain a better understanding of the whole production system. The mix of BPEX staff, vets and allied industry delivering the topics was a great way to take advantage of a wide pool of knowledge. As a result of the workshops, it is now possible for some members of the training group to get recognition for their skills by being assessed for the Certificate of Competence. Helen Thoday (BPEX) said “As a result of demand, the scheme will be expanded to include Somerset and Oxford.”
Dates for the next meetings have now been set, for details of these or the other workshops planned around the country check the online calendar or contact BPEX: kt@bpex.org.uk.

Marketing News:
Peterborough is the first stop! For Roadshows
The start of 7 events take place next week at the East of England Showground, Peterborough on Weds 24th.  Categories include; bacon, gammon, sausages, hot or cold pies, ready meals, meatballs & faggots.  So if you have a best seller, see if it is a prize winner & enter today.

Any independent retailer or farm shop wishing to enter their pork products for evaluation can do so by downloading an entry form from http://www.britishmeatnpd.com/product/britmeatroadshows/index.html
Or ring 01908 844107 to get one sent or faxed to you.

British Sausage Week - 3-9 November 2008
The Sausages flooded in and the judges munched their way through 131 sausages from 88 companies.  Results will be processed and announced during sausage week itself, Our thanks go to Glenda & Rex, Jane, Marian & Christine from LIPs, Gina Steer from Take a Break magazine and Emma Marsden from Good Housekeeping..
 
Tesco Regional Stores
30 Western Tesco stores are currently displaying the Lovepork recipe booklets in a tailormade Love Pork dispenser on all 30 of their serveover counters.  The Eastern region is looking to replicate the offer in the near future.

Tesco On-Pack Stickers
The total number of packs this is or has appeared on is due to increase to 7 million as a third supplier is now applying the stickers to their fresh pork range.

Sausage of the Year Competition
Over 250 sausages were judged this week for this yearly Foodservice competition, with guest judges from the Publican magazine, as sponsors of the Best Pub Sausage Category.  The results will be announced at the final cook off on 24th October at Butchers Hall, London.

National News:
English Breeding Herd Decline
Defra has just published provisional English pig herd results from Defra's June census which shows the English pig breeding herd down 7.6% which compares with an overall UK decline of 7%.

BPEX Board Recommends Restoring Levy
The BPEX board met this week and debated the business plan for the 2009-10 financial year and recommended that the levy be restored in April 2009. The producer levy was cut by 10p in April this year. Since then producers have been paying 75p instead of 85p. Processors have continued paying a 20p levy, bringing the total levy collected to 95p per pig slaughtered.
A majority of the BPEX board voted in favour of recommending to levy payers that the 10p be restored.

The 10p cut was introduced by the board in response to the critical financial difficulties faced by the industry. BPEX had built up healthy strategic reserves and wanted to return some of the money to producers in addition to funding the PCV2 voucher scheme, which continues until December.

By using reserves BPEX will invest around £10m of levy payers money during the current year.  In 2009-10 levy income will be at the lower level of about £7.8m (depending on the size of the national herd and the number of slaughter pigs produced).

AHDB Consult on Supply Chain Quality Schemes And Branding
This week AHDB (Agriculture Horticulture Development Board) have issued a consultation document on supply chain quality schemes and branding.  The purpose of this consultation is to determine industry views on the scope, use and financing of quality schemes and branding on AHDB sector products and the consultation document is seeking input to the following specific questions:

1. Should AHDB invest levy payers money to promote the quality and standards of its sectors products? 
2. Does there need to be a rationalisation of existing quality marks? 
3. Should AHDB invest levy funds to promote uptake within the industry, police the proper use of a mark and build consumer awareness about the quality and standards of all sector products? (The cost of this is estimated to be about £0.5m. per annum to AHDB and would be apportioned back to AHDB sector organisations). 
4. If levy payer money was to be invested, should AHDB;
   a) Create a new scheme?
   b) Adopt the RTL scheme as it is now? or
   c) Integrate existing standards in the beef and sheep sector into the RTL scheme? (Note: pig sector standards already integrated) 
5. In your sector, which products or market segments do you believe would most benefit from the promotion of quality characteristics (either general quality characteristics common to your sector and other sectors or ones specific to your sector)? Would you support levy payers’ money being invested in this promotion? 
6. If in your view, no products in your sector would benefit from promoting such a scheme (beyond a baseline investment outlined in paragraph 21), would you accept other AHDB sectors working together at a sector level on such a scheme through AHDB? 
7. Do you support levy-funded investment even though this will mean that EU guidelines for promotion would need to be observed by all parties participating in the scheme throughout the supply chain even where private funds were invested?

Click here to access consultation document and submit a response.

Channel 4 Seeks The New Face Of Farming.
 Are you a farmer with the expertise to help others achieve smallholding success?   Channel 4 are looking for a fresh face to front a series about British agriculture.  You need to be able to handle animals but also give really useful advice to those on the first rungs of the agricultural ladder.  You need to be able to help them get their produce beyond the farm gate.  Are you passionate about what you do and enthusiastic enough to help others starting to live off the land?  
 
If this is you, (or you know someone), please contact James Greig at betty on 020 7290 0660 or james.greig@betty.co.uk

International News:

Export Bulletin
Click here for the latest export bulletin.

International Prices
Click here for the latest international prices