BPEX Weekly: March 12 2010

Marketing News

Bacon Connoisseurs Week

A video of Anton will be appearing on the lovepork.co.uk website next week. He is visiting a butcher in Smithfield Market and talking about bacon curing and then moves onto the kitchen were bacon recipes are being prepared. The video will also be seeded onto other foodie and consumer lifestyle websites, to help extend the message of bacon week. Anton is also due to appear on the following TV shows:

And finally, still to be confirmed is the Alan Titchmarsh Show on whether they will interview Anton on 17th March, so fingers crossed on this one!

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Food images of celebrities using bacon are being presented to the following people, in the hope they will feature them on their respective shows

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Weird and wonderful websites featuring bacon make it across the international waters - click here to find out more.

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It was heard on the ‘Sausage-vine’ that Phil Vickery and Holly Willoughby were discussing their Banger awards on ITV's This Morning earlier this week during a recipe piece on sausages, and 'pitying' poor Philip for his lack of a sausage accolade. Good to know that BSW lives on!

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Nearly 300 products were entered into the Butchers Product Evaluation and Roadshow at Bolton’s Reebok stadium this week. And almost half of those achieved a gold award with over a third receiving a silver. But the overall winner with his Traditional Pork Sausage was Vaughans Family Butchers of Chester, who also received two further gold awards for his bacon and meatball products.  The 12 exhibitors also had a good day in the new extended area of the hall which provided more space for demonstrations and networking.

The last roadshow of the season is at Haywards Heath in Ardingly on 24th March so if you have a prize winning product, download a form now by clicking here and be in with a chance of becoming a Regional Category Champion.

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And finally, you are just a click away from training your pig to sit!

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Knowledge Transfer

Tip of the Week: No Flies on You!

Fly control needs to be planned and put into practice early in the year, before problems develop! To control fly populations you need to use a larvicide and an adulticide simultaneously. This way larvae are killed preventing new flies hatching, and the adult flies are prevented from laying more eggs. The adulticides used should be rotated to minimise resistance problems developing. Start making plans now and develop a fly control programme to will keep fly populations under control.

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The KT team has just taken delivery of some compressed straw logs, usually used as a solid fuel, but which could have potential as a manipulable material for enriching pigs’ environment.

Each KT manager has a supply which we will be trialling on a number of farms over the next few weeks.

If you are interested in trying these out, or want more information on the product, contact your regional manager. Keep an eye on the BPEX website to see how the logs performed.

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The third Young Pig Producers Dinner will now be held on 8th April 2010, not 30th March as previously published. How long has it been since you looked round another UK pig unit? Join BPEX and the NPA for three virtual tours of pig units in the South West: Freedom Foods, outdoor and indoor. What do they look like, how do they run and what are the on farm strategies they are working on to improve? It would be great to see you at the dinner at 6pm on 8th April 2010, Jury Inn Hotel, Exeter, EX1 2DB – with some options for socialising in central Exeter after the event! The dinner will be fully sponsored by BPEX and NPA.

To book a place call or text or call Helen Thoday on 07973 701202 or Oliver Bown on 07786 961574. There are some rooms reserved for anyone wanting to stay overnight – please let Helen know.

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Small-scale pig keepers will get expert practical advice at two special workshops in the north east.

These interactive workshops will help pig keepers improve their knowledge and get the most out of their pigs, with the latest information on relevant legislation and production practices.

Delivered by the British Pig Association, in conjunction with BPEX, the topics will include: basic needs and welfare of the pig, housing and feeding, handling, health, official requirements of pig keeping, slapmarking, tagging and record keeping.

‘Practical Pig Keeping For the Small Producer’ workshops are being held on 22nd March at Hexham Mart,12.00 - 5pm, and on 23rd March at Morpeth Golf Club,11am - 4pm. Each workshop costs £25 per person and lunch is included.To book a place please contact Lis Ravn on 07891 656784 or email Lis.ravn@bpex.org.uk.

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We are still looking for producers for the Yorkshire Humberside Health (YHH) vet pilot. You need to be sending finishing pigs and not vaccinating for EP or PRRS. Testing will be at the abattoir via the collection of blood samples after sticking, blood will be tested for EP and PRRS by the VLA. The results are only shared between the VLA and your vet and will help with the establishment of best practice diagnostics for these diseases. To volunteer, or for more details, contact Helen Clarke of BPEX. Tel: 07973701369 email: helen.clarke@bpex.org.uk

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National News:

NADIS Latest - Antibiotics

The use of antibiotics in both farm animals and humans has been extremely valuable in controlling disease and suffering for many years.

Unfortunately, a consequence of continued use is the development of resistance in bacteria to specific antibiotics.

Multiple resistance is of particular importance in human medicine and whilst there is little evidence to support the claim that this is caused by use of antibiotics in animals, there is a belief that this may be the case.

As such, use of certain antibiotics in animals is coming under pressure – particularly fluoroquinolones and third generation cephalosporins.

All antibiotics used on farms are only available under veterinary direction and are prescribed and supplied for specific purposes in specified individuals or age groups of animals.

Always ensure that all antibiotics are only used in the specified manner and never use for other conditions unless authorised by the prescribing veterinarian.

A failure to use antibiotics correctly and responsibly is likely to lead to their withdrawal from use for animals.

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Pork's Continuing Success

Retail pork sales are still flying high according to the latest quarterly category report from BPEX, showing the strongest performance of all the red meats.

For the 52 weeks ending on January 24, fresh pork sales were up 5.6% in volume and 6.6% in value.

Bacon and sausages were also performing strongly with the former showing a 2.8% increase in expenditure while sausages were 6.6% up.

BPEX head of Marketing Chris Lamb said: "Pork's impressive performance in 2009 is continuing into the early part of this year.

"Consumers are seeing more value in pork, bacon and sausages and they are taking up a greater and greater share of shopping trolley space across the range."

The Quarterly Category Report is now available on the BPEX website and can be downloaded by clicking here.

If you are new to the site you will have to register but this is a simple process which will not have to be repeated.

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Richard Longthorp, Lantra's chairman for England and the driving force behind the AgriSkills Strategy, is one of a group of businessmen invited to meet and question all three of the United Kingdom's political party leaders when they visit Yorkshire, starting this week.

He will raise skills issues and the strategic importance of the land-based sector at each of the meetings with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Conservative leader, David Cameron and Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, as part of the run-up to the United Kingdom general election this spring.

Richard Longthorp will meet David Cameron on Thursday 11 March, Nick Clegg on Friday 19 March and Gordon Brown at a date soon to be finalised.

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Below are the latest BPHS assessment dates.

Assessment dates for January to June 2010 in all participating abattoirs have been published and are available on the BPEX website.

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Levy Rates Confirmed

Levy rates to be charged to farmers, growers and processors by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 have been approved by Ministers in Defra and the Devolved Administrations.

The only levy rate change for the 2010/11 financial year applies to the GB potato levy.

The levy rates for the other five AHDB sectors remain unchanged from the 2009/10 rate.

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International News:

EU Flu Research

The European Commission has announced the results of its €18 million call for proposals for new research projects on influenza.

Four collaborative research projects have been shortlisted for funding. They involve 52 research institutes and SMEs from 18 European countries and three international partners (Israel, China, the United States).

Two consortia will focus their research on influenza in pigs while the two others will develop innovative drugs against influenza in humans:

ESNIP 3 - European surveillance network for influenza in pigs 3

This project will maintain and expand the surveillance network for influenza in pigs established during the previous EU funded projects ESNIP 1 and ESNIP 2 which represented the only organised surveillance network of this kind. The project is expected to contribute to improved pandemic preparedness and planning for human influenza and provide an evidence base for decisions in relation to veterinary health.

FLUPIG - Pathogenesis and transmission of influenza virus in pigs

This project aims at a better understanding of the role of pigs in influenza pandemics. The exact role of pigs is unclear, as is the nature of the genetic changes that are required for (a) efficient replication of an avian virus in pigs, (b) efficient transmission of avian viruses between pigs and (c) virus transmission from pigs to humans and between humans. More knowledge of this will be critical to the control of future influenza pandemics

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Caroli and Campofrio Merge

Caroli Foods Group and Campofrio Food Group announced today the signing of agreements to merge their operations in the form of a joint venture between the two processed meat businesses in Romania and neighbouring territories according to the latest Export Bulletin. The neighbouring countries include Bulgaria, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine and Turkey. This joint venture will create the leading company in the Romanian processed meat market with a combined market share over 16% and turnover exceeding Euro 120 Million. To read the Export Bulletin, please click here.

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Smithfield Profit

Smithfield Foods Inc. said Thursday it recorded its first quarterly profit since 2008 as its hog production businesses slashed losses and its packaged meats segment continued to excel.

The company's long bleeding hog production unit narrowed losses in its third fiscal quarter to $55.6 million, from a loss of $253.6 million in the year-ago period, as costs of production decreased and sales prices rose. Raising costs decreased by $10 to $51 per hundredweight, while prices rose $4 to $44 per hundredweight.

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EBLEX, BPEX and UK Trade and Investment held an exhibition hosted by HM Ambassador Alexander Ellis at the Residence in Lisbon on Wednesday 3 March to promote beef, lamb and pork products in Portugal.
Five exporters showed a wide range of chilled foods to some 80 Portuguese buyers. Guests were able to sample all products expertly prepared by Portuguese chefs.
EBLEX and BPEX Export Manager Jean-Pierre Garnier, said: "Discerning Portuguese consumers have a growing appetite for British foods.
"For instance, our lamb exports have grown six-fold over the last two years to more than 1,500 tonnes and total meat exports to Portugal are worth more than £10 million.
"There was also interest in high quality bacon and sausages from top end retailers. We are now planning to step up our marketing activity there over the next twelve months and new activities will be unveiled over the summer.”

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The European Union faces renewed disruption to animal feed supplies this year unless policymakers find a rapid solution to traces of genetically modified organisms in soy imports, industry groups have warned.

Last autumn, imports of soybeans from the United States came to a near standstill because of the EU's zero-tolerance rule on shipments containing tiny traces of GMOs not yet approved in the bloc. Soy is a key primary material in animal feed production. "This spring new GM varieties will be commercially sown in north and south America which are unlikely to be approved in the EU by October," Klaus-Dieter Schumacher, head of markets at European grain trade association Coceral, said. "This could lead to a similar situation as last autumn, and the need for a solution is still as urgent as it was then."

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For the latest international prices, click here.

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