Central Government has committed to buying fresh, locally sourced, seasonal food from 2017 through a new, simplified food and drink buying standard.

With feed representing the major cost of pig production – as much as 70% in some countries – the relationship between feed usage and productivity was highlighted at an international conference in Segovia, Spain recently.

Something of a buyers’ market is emerging as far as finished and store pigs are concerned, with pigmeat imports still posing a major threat to the UK supply chain, coupled with indifferent consumer demand for certain cuts, with loins in particular being hard to clear.

According to new data published by the European Commission, the UK has some of the best carcase classification results in the EU.

PIC is implementing relationship-based genomic selection in all of its crossbred boar products from next month (August 2014).

Some 40 years ago, after writing a few press articles based on my farm experience of attending to piggery ventilation, I got a tactful letter from the ventilationists at the then NIAgrEng (why do the British close down such valuable research and trial organisations) that made me sit up a bit.

BPEX weekly pig prices and slaughter data for Great Britain.

Merchant's ex-farm buying-in straw prices supplied by the British Hay & Straw Merchants Association.

NFU president Meurig Raymond was in Strasbourg on Wednesday (July 15) to rally support from MEPs to sign the ‘Back British Farming EU pledge.’ By signing the pledge, 33 MEPs out of the UK's 73 representatives have committed themselves to using their position in European Parliament to champion the cause for British agriculture during the next five years.

There have been significant falls in barley straw prices in some parts of Britain in the past week as the barley harvest got underway in earnest.

The Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) has announced that Dr Bert Lambooij DVM, of the Animal Science Group, Wageningen University, in the Netherlands, has won its 2014 award for significant advances in humane slaughter.

European pig breeders have found a lucrative market selling pigs to China in recent years, but a new study by Wageningen University in the Netherlands published on Tuesday shows that in the past the trade in pig genetics flowed in the opposite direction.

NFU president Meurig Raymond has strongly criticised Tesco’s decision to heavily promote New Zealand lamb in the middle of the prime season for British lamb, given previous commitments the retailer has made.

Tulip played host to more than 150 suppliers ranging from pig producers to ingredients, packaging and equipment companies at a recent event to mark the launch of its new "Winning Together" initiative.

BPEX is to fund PCR testing of faeces or intestinal contents from outbreaks of diarrhoea in any age of pig on premises in England and Wales to increase the chances of early detection of PEDv.

Buyers from the South-west, Kent, East Anglia and the Midlands turned up at for one of the largest sales Peter Crichton has ever conducted when he auctioned the outdoor pig equipment for Teffont Magna Pigs in Wiltshire on July 5.

Red Tractor has published a "What Has Changed" leaflet that lists changes to the organisation's pig scheme that producers will need to meet from October 2014.

Dr Simon Turner, an internationally recognised expert on aggressiveness in farm animals has been awarded a Readership by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). His conferment of a Readership in Applied Ethology (the study of natural behaviour in animals) was made at the SRUC’s annual graduation ceremony at the University of Glasgow. The title Reader is awarded to a senior academic with a distinguished international reputation in research and scholarship.

Red Tractor has completely revamped its farm assurance standards, making them significantly shorter, with simple, easy-to-read content that clearly explains what each standard is, why it's important and what the assessor will be looking for.

AHDB/BPEX calculations for the spread between farmgate and retail prices for June 2014 indicate a 1% increase in the producer share from the previous month, to 42%.

Investment in replacement breeding stock is a significant cost and, according to Stephen Hall of Stephen Hall Management, the future of your business is wrapped up in the genetic capabilities of these high-value animals

Premier Nutrition, which is part of AB Agri, has announced the acquisition of Roses Nutrition Limited. The deal, which took effect from July 7, expands Premier Nutrition’s range and expertise in quality pre-mix solutions for pigs and layers.

Pig World has announced the members of the judging panel for the National Pig Awards. Comprising some of the best-known industry figures, the panel includes respected ex-producers as well as leading industry representatives

Pig meat production in the EU is expected to start picking up slowly after two years of tight supplies according to the directorate general for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission's Short Term Outlook for the EU arable crops, meat and dairy markets in 2014 and 2015.

The new GB Standard Pig Price (SPP) was launched by BPEX today (July 2). The value was the week to June 28 was 163.57p/kg, although the levy body also revealed figures for July 21 (163.44p/kg) and July 14 (164.02p/kg).

There's still time to nominate somebody to receive the pig industry’s highest honour, the David Black Award.

BPEX has announced some changes in responsibility for some of its personnel that will take effect this autumn.

Delegates to the Society for Applied Microbiology's annual Summer Conference, taking place this week in Brighton, have heard how veterinary laboratories in Europe are working together to implement reliable diagnostic tests that ensure preparedness for the potential emergence of PED virus in Europe.