Pig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    • September 2025
    • August 2025
    • 2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement
    • July 2025
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Buildings supplement
    • February 2025
    • 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Pig Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • 2024 Buildings Supplement
    • March 2024
    • 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • Health Supplement
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
Podcast
Pig WorldPig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    1. September 2025
    2. August 2025
    3. 2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement
    4. July 2025
    5. June 2025
    6. 2025 Innovation supplement
    7. May 2025
    8. April 2025
    9. March 2025
    10. 2025 Buildings supplement
    11. February 2025
    12. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    13. January 2025
    14. December 2024
    15. November 2024
    16. 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    17. October 2024
    18. September 2024
    19. August 2024
    20. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    21. July 2024
    22. June 2024
    23. 2024 Innovation supplement
    24. 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    25. May 2024
    26. April 2024
    27. 2024 Buildings Supplement
    28. March 2024
    29. 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    30. February 2024
    31. January 2024
    32. December 2023
    33. November 2023
    34. 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    35. October 2023
    36. September 2023
    37. Health Supplement
    Featured

    September 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    September 1, 2025
    Recent

    September 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    September 1, 2025

    August 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    August 1, 2025

    2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement now available

    August 1, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
Comment

A challenging start to 2021 – but we have an opportunity to grow our production base if we work together

Alistair DriverBy Alistair DriverDecember 29, 20205 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

In his New Year message, NPA allied industry chair, Farmex’s Hugh Crabtree, highlights the challenges facing the industry at the start of 2021, and urges members to make sure they use their votes in the NPA elections.

As we prepare to wave goodbye to 2020, still under some of the most severe regulations restricting our freedoms we’ve seen since war time, what are the prospects for 2021?

I am sure we’d all be delighted to wish good riddance to 2020 but regrettably the second wave of the pandemic is well and truly upon us and threatens to easily exceed the original contagion. Interestingly, the second and subsequent waves of infection of the great Spanish Flu pandemic following WW1 were more severe in terms of mortality than the original appearance of the disease.

Not a happy thought for the festive season but I make no apologies; the control of the spread of the disease is in the hands of every individual. The regulators can only do so much. We see examples of this in our normal working lives – we have standards we have all agreed to but there are those who think they don’t apply to them or that they’re not important enough to worry about. We’ve also all seen the result of activists exposing these examples.

However much we comment about perceptions, ignorance of the facts and lack of understanding about scale food production; the few who disregard the regulation and advice endanger the whole sector.

And so it is with COVID-19, we really must all play our part in controlling this disease until such time as the available vaccinations have penetrated throughout the population. It’s all familiar territory isn’t it?

Those involved in food production – as the pig industry is – have just been getting on with the job in hand. Good job, too, as lockdown or no, we all need to eat and it turns out pork has been a popular choice during these strange times representing great value and flexibility as it does. However, not even climbing demand can help when processors are unable to run their lines due to covid cases amongst their staff.

The sector is facing a particular challenge in early 2021 in dealing with backed up finished pigs on farm. These things have a habit of rushing up on us and there’s a real risk of this happening if only a few more plants are affected by the pandemic.

I am sure the sector will deal with this through careful leadership from the NPA and the production systems that have developed apace during the last decade. We have excellent help from marketing groups but closed lines are closed lines, we must prepare.

The B-word

And all this before I’ve mentioned the ‘B’ word! How’s that going to be for everyone? I believe for most businesses on the supply side, administrators will just deal with whatever the new red-tape is. Frankly, little else to be done.

In the case of my business, we’ve been trading with the USA for over 20 years on WTO terms. That holds no fear for us as we’re well used to the process which is straightforward to be fair. New arrangements for our business in Northern Ireland I suspect will be somewhat more clunky – at least to begin with while new processes get bedded in. We’re stuck with this regardless of any deal that might be done with the EU.

For farmers however, a different kettle of fish. A no-deal result and the impact of tariffs on our food supply and produce export would have been very significant, particularly for our cull sow market. That has been avoided, but hold-ups in supply chains are still inevitable.

The theory is that government is thinking about this and coming up with a plan – lord knows they’ve been told often enough and loud enough about it by the NPA and NFU singing lustily from the same hymn sheet. Without structured support as we pass into the brave new world (deal or no deal), there will be trouble ahead.

NPA Elections

So far so gloomy – is there nothing positive to be said as we approach 2021? Yes, we have a tried and tested new policy body in the NPA. The Pig Industry Group is the result of bringing together the former Producer and Allied Industry Groups.

This was done in the interest of cost efficiency and improved communications between industry stakeholders and it’s worked out very well in 2020. Now it’s election season and it looks like an excellent field of candidates will be standing (and there is still time to get your nomination in!). The UK pig industry has a great track record when it comes to its representative body.

First class, committed, hard-working and professional staff and a strong mix of volunteers from right across the sector. So, the New Year will bring a newly elected PIG, revitalised board of directors and association chair. All you have to do is exercise your vote fully!

For more about the NPA elections, including how to nominate, who is standing so far and the timetable, CLICK HERE

If we can stimulate demand amongst our home market consumers – all 65 million of them – might we actually have the opportunity to begin to grow our production base? We’re not self-sufficient in pork products anymore so there is a clear and accessible opportunity right on our doorstep. All we have to do is work together to grasp it!

I hope you had A Very Merry (little) Christmas – and a Peaceful, Covid-free and Prosperous New Year to one and all.

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleThe Big Deal
Next Article Karro owners announce acquisition of Irish cooked meats producer
Alistair Driver

Editor Pig World, group editor Agronomist and Arable Farmer and Farm Contractor. National Pig Association webmaster. Former political editor at Farmers Guardian. Occasional media pundit. Brought up on a Leicestershire farm. Works from a shed in his Oxfordshire garden.

Read Similar Stories

Vet View: Managing heat stress in pigs

August 6, 2025

Comment: Was the move indoors the right decision for us?

August 4, 2025

Comment: British pork reimagined: Data-led marketing for a changing consumer

July 9, 2025
Latest News

Straw prices for the week ending September 7, 2025

September 3, 2025

Farm assurance debate: An important change driven by the supply chain

September 3, 2025

Farm assurance debate: A commitment to welfare excellence

September 3, 2025
Sponsored Content

Enhancing Weaned Pig Health and Performance with Zinc and Iron

August 1, 2025

THE GATEKEEPER OF RESPIRATORY HEALTH – MYCOPLASMA HYOPNEUMONIAE (M.HYO)

April 30, 2024
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1773 Aberdeenshire

    • Aberdeenshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Senior Pig Stockperson – Ref 1772 Aberdeenshire

    • Aberdeenshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Senior Pig Stockperson – Ref 1771 Australia

    • Queensland, Australia
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
GETTING IN TOUCH
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Meet The Editors
  • About Us
  • Email Newsletters
  • Subscribe
  • Reuse permissions
OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
PARTNER EVENTS
RELATED SITES
  • Farmers Weekly
  • Agronomist & Arable Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • National Pig Awards
  • Pigs Tomorrow
  • Poultry News
  • Weekly Tribune
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.