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january 28 2012
Shortage
of skilled workers — really?
Is there really a shortage of skilled workers in the pig industry? More on this later today, with news of an upcoming survey to ferret out the facts.
Price of eggs soars
Europe's battery cage ban has led to a drop in the supply of eggs and a 20 percent increase in prices over recent weeks, according to Brussels sources.
The situation is most dire in the 'eggs-for-breaking' industry, which is experiencing supply shortages and high costs. Eggs-for-breaking prices show a 75 percent hike between weeks one and three of 2012, compared to the same period last year.
As signalled on this page at the beginning of the week, letters of formal notice have now been sent by the European Commission to member countries that have failed to comply with the battery cage ban.
Interestingly the original gang of 14 law-breakers has shrunk to 13 as Malta is now compliant having culled all hens in battery cages.
But their are still 14 transgressors in total, because United Kingdom has been added to the list, and it too will receive a warning letter from the Commission in a few weeks.
Letters of formal notice are the first stage in legal proceedings. The process is of interest to British pig-keepers, as Brussels will be repeating the whole exercise next January, for countries that don't comply with the partial stalls ban.
Member countries now have two months to provide further information on their level of compliance with Europe's battery cages directive, which was introduced over 12 years ago with a 2012 time trigger.
Non-compliant countries are United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Cyprus, Spain, Romania and Greece.
Member countries that fail to provide an adequate response to the letters of notice will be issued with a 'reasoned opinion' demanding compliance within two months, failing which they will be referred to the European Court.
Around 47m hens (14 percent) are still kept in conventional battery cages, with about 18m in Italy alone.
Brussels will step up efforts to ensure compliance with the upcoming partial ban on stalls for sows, pledged health commissioner John Dalli this week.
Meanwhile agriculture department officials have been quick to claim the hike in egg prices over 2011 levels has partly been caused by rising feed and energy costs.
Brussels claims the situation should 'naturally reverse' after Easter if no external forces intervene.
January 27 2012
How compliant are you?
Are you ready for 2013 time-triggered welfare legislation? There will be a poll on this page next week.
Today's shouts
| SHOUTS LEAGUE TABLE |
| First |
138p Woodhead and Gill |
| Third |
136p Tulip |
| Last |
135p Vion and Cranswick |
Better prices on the way (probably)
With reports of firmer prices on the continent, with Germany, Belgium and Holland all showing rises, as well as the relative stability (for now) of the euro which traded on Friday worth 83.6p, it would not come as a surprise to see a modest pig price rally start in the weeks ahead. Peter Crichton's Traffic Lights commentary >>>
Advice for first-timers
BOCM Pauls has added useful advice on its website for people thinking of keeping pigs non-commercially.
On its Buying and Starting with Pigs page, it promotes NPA's current "Don't risk a £5,000 fine" biosecurity campaign and supplies a checklist for first-time buyers:
- Try to buy in early or late spring.
- Where possible, buy from a breeder - avoid buying at auction, livestock markets or over the telephone.
- Try to view litters before too many of the piglets have been sold.
- Assess the current environment of the pigs / piglets.
- Check for good health and temperament.
- Check the pigs' earmarks, documentation and registration.
- Go with your initial impression when selecting your pigs.
- Apply for a Country Parish Holding (CPH) number from the Rural Payments Agency.
British bacon for MEPs
Working closely with NFU's Brussels office, NPA will host a breakfast for MEPs in March. The eggs and bacon will be British. Farms minister Jim Paice will be present and he will stress the importance of compliance with the January 2013 stalls ban.
Producer Group election
Polls open for online voting in the NPA Producer Group election in five days. Download all the election addresses here >>>
Murrells quits Tulip for the Coop
The Co-operative has appointed Steve Murrells as chief executive of its food business following the departure of Tim Hurrell who retired last year. He will join the business in July from Tulip, where he is United Kingdom chief executive.
 Promotion for Lis
Lis Ravn, BPEX knowledge transfer manager for the north-east of England, has been appointed team leader of BPEX's knowledge transfer team, effective from February.
She has been part of the knowledge transfer team since its creation over five years ago. She will continue to be manager for the north-east, in addition to her new role.
Barney will judge best stand
Pig World is pleased to report that Barney Kay (NFU's chief milk monitor in the north-east) has agreed to judge the Best Stand Award at this year's Pig Fair.
NPA to defend Thirsk laboratory
NPA general manager Dr Zoe Davies will give evidence to the Environment select committee on Wednesday next week, when the committee investigates Defra's plans to cut some Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency services. NPA is particularly keen to see the AHVLA laboratory at Thirsk stay open because of its acknowledged pig expertise.
NPA regional meetings this year
SOUTH CENTRAL
Spring – Monday 26 March
Autumn – Monday 24 September
NORTHERN
Spring – Tuesday 10 April
Autumn – Tuesday 9 October
EAST
Spring – Monday 16 April
Autumn – Tuesday 16 October
Pig farm incomes down again
Average farm business income is forecast to have fallen 20 percent on specialist pig farms over the year March 2011 to February 2012, according to Defra's farm business income forecasts, released this week.
This not unexpected fall follows a drop in income over the previous 12 months of 59 percent.
The March 2011-February 2012 fall has occurred despite an increase in livestock output, driven by firmer prices for finished pigs.
Feed costs, which account for over half of input costs on pig farms, continued to increase in 2011 as a result of higher cereal prices.
At current prices the Defra report sees specialist pig farm business income (or net profit) fall to £35,500 in 2011-2012 from £44,500 in the previous 12 months and £75,500 in the 12 months before that (2009-2010).
But the Defra forecast comes with a health warning. The figures are subject to a margin of error, reflecting, in particular, the fact that farm income is derived as the relatively small difference between total output and total input, so that small percentage changes in either of these amounts tend to result in large percentage changes in income.
It should also be noted that there is a wide range in income across farms around the average figures, within each year.
Defra's forecast farm business income is based on information available in early January 2011 for prices, animal populations and marketings, and is intended as a broad indication of how income for farm types will has moved in the current 12 months, compared with 2010-11.
The forecast suggests average farm business income has increased slightly on cereal farms in 2011-12 to around £90,000.
This is largely due to a much higher output for oilseed rape crops for the 2011 harvest, resulting from a combination of increased area, yield and prices.
Output from cereals is also expected to increase as to date, wheat and barley prices have been slightly higher than the previous year.
Average yields for wheat from the 2011 harvest are expected to be slightly higher than 2010 harvest whilst for barley they are expected to be lower.
However there is likely to have been considerable yield variation between regions for the 2011 harvest due to drought. Input costs for cereal farms are also expected to increase with fertiliser and fuel costs having the greatest impact.
Mixed farms will see farm business income 2011-12 increase 7 percent from £51,000 in 2010-11 to £54,000.
• DEFINITION — for non-corporate businesses, farm business income represents the financial return to all unpaid labour (farmers and spouses, non-principal partners and their spouses and family workers) and on all their capital invested in the farm business, including land and buildings. For corporate businesses it represents the financial return on shareholder capital invested in the farm business.
In essence, therefore, farm business income is the same as net profit.
Paper movements to be scrapped
To be legal, from April pig movements must be reported through eAML2 either by setting up the movement online or by contacting the eAML2 bureau service. There will also be third party providers such as the British Pig Association and marketing groups.
The current carbon copy AML2 paper form will no longer be a valid form of pig movement reporting.
The eAML2 system is already being used for movements of pigs to abattoirs, farms, auction markets, movements via collection centre and shows.
All pig-keepers are being encouraged to familiarise themselves with the electronic system ready for April.
To register details for eAML2, pig-keepers will need their County Parish Holding (CPH) number and herd mark.
For movements to collection centres, producers need to set up the move to the collection centre not the final destination abattoir. The collection centre will then set up the move from their site to the abattoir.
Keepers will be able to set up movements to and from Scotland electronically early 2012 – work is underway to integrate eAML2 with the Scottish electronic movement system.
To register for eAML2 visit www.eaml2.org.uk and click on 'Producer registration' or call the eAML2 bureau service on 0844 335 8400 or fax to 02476 692 405. There are quick-start guides available online.
january 26 2012
Traffic Lights
Traffic Lights base is down another tuppence.
Banner wanted in East Anglia
Do you farm near Jimmy Butler in East Anglia, and do you have a Banners Blitz "Yes, Yes, Yes" or "Higher welfare" banner you could give, or lend him? Jimmy has been asked to provide two banners to be erected at the entrance of a caravan rally where the theme will be food and farming. This is an opportunity that's too good to miss. But the Banners Blitz campaign has only one banner left in stock, which will be dispatched to Jimmy today. Can you helop with the second one? It needs to be clean and in good condition. If you can help, please call Jimmy.
STOP PRESS We've found our second banner. Thanks Peter Crichton.
After the hens fiasco, Defra
seeks reassurance over stalls
By Digby Scott
Following the fiasco over United Kingdom's failure to comply with the battery cage ban, Defra is nervous about doing battle for pig producers over the European partial stalls ban.
It is seeking reassurance from the pig industry that it absolutely and positively does not have any skeletons in the closet.
At a meeting with members of Defra's welfare team yesterday, NPA chairman Stewart Houston was asked to confirm the British pig industry is 100 percent compliant with the 1999 United Kingdom stalls ban.
Defra also wants to be sure producers are compliant with all provisions laid out in the most recent European Union pig welfare directive, which was introduced in December 2008 and lays down minimum standards for pig welfare in Europe.
Over 90 percent of British pigs are covered by farm assurance, which ensures strict compliance with all pig welfare law. Nevertheless all pig-keepers are urged to study the legislation (which can be downloaded at the bottom of this article).
Defra's nervousness is understandable. The United Kingdom government was strident in its criticism of countries that are flouting the January 2012 battery cages ban.
But two weeks ago, as new information came to light, it had to admit that over 400,000 hens on 32 poultry farms in the United Kingdom are not compliant, representing 1.14 percent of the country's egg-laying flock.
It has pledged to resolve the issue by the beginning of next month. But meanwhile the United Kingdom has suffered the humiliation of being added to the list of Europe's non-compliant countries.
As a result it is expected to receive a warning of pending prosecution from European Commission lawyers.
The British Egg Industry Council has described the discovery as 'embarrassing' and has called on consumers to look for the British Lion to ensure the eggs they buy come from welfare friendly production systems.
Defra is determined not to be similarly wrong-footed as it prepares to do battle on behalf of United Kingdom pig producers over many member countries' likely non-compliance with next January's European partial stalls ban.
European Commission health department sources estimate that across Europe around 47m hens (14.3 percent) are still kept in battery cages, in contravention of European law.
The Commission has added the United Kingdom to its hit-list of transgressors, bringing the total to 15 non-compliant countries.
These are: United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Cyprus, Spain, Romania and Greece.
• PIG WELFARE DIRECTIVE This 2008 directive embodies current European Union pig welfare legislation. It has been enacted in United Kingdom legislation and is enforced by relevant agencies and for most pig-keepers via farm assurance independent audits. Nevertheless please study the directive and ensure you comply in all respects >>> |
