Andrew Cheale, who has died aged 77, was an Essex lad who left school to farm and become a wholesale butcher and a leading exporter of pork and beef.

BPEX is reporting that the latest figures from Kantar Worldpane show consumer spending on pork was 5% higher in the 12 weeks to May 12, 2013 than in the same period last year.

Figures published by Defra on agriculture in the English regions for 2012 show that output from pigs was up nearly 8% on the previous year at £940 million. The increase was due both to increased slaughterings and higher prices.

ABN has appointed Richard Panton to assist the existing pig feed sales team in the East Anglia region.

The winner of this year's NPA Chris Brant Award is Jonathan French, key accounts manager for national feed compounder BOCM PAULS in the south of England. The award is presented annually to someone who goes the extra mile for the British industry.

It’s an age old problem, when the summer temperatures rise, fertility in pigs (and many other mammals) declines. It's nature’s way of limiting the number of offspring produced in the winter when the temperature is cold and food is in shorter supply.

A large company of buyers attended Mike Sheldon's pig unit dispersal sale on June 8, which was conducted jointly by auctioneers Peter Crichton and Will Abbott.

The NPA has warned that recycling human food by feeding it to pigs must take place only under strictly-controlled conditions, otherwise there is a risk of outbreaks of notifiable diseases, such as foot-and-mouth, classical swine fever and African swine fever.

A recent trial conducted by JSR Genetics has revealed it’s possible to take pigs to heavier weights without having a negative impact on profit margins.

BPEX is asking pig producers to check their cleaning and disinfection (C&D) routine at its next BPEX Live online workshop on Monday, June 24 at 7.00pm.

Now's the time to be thinking of worming your pig herd, reminds ABN’s national pig specialist, Ian Watson, who warns of the cost implications of harbouring a worm burden.

East Riding Farm Services (ERFS), the Driffield-based farm supply business with customers the entire length of Great Britain, as well as overseas, has been granted a Royal Warrant.