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
    • 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. July 2025
    2. June 2025
    3. 2025 Innovation supplement
    4. May 2025
    5. April 2025
    6. March 2025
    7. 2025 Buildings supplement
    8. February 2025
    9. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    10. January 2025
    11. December 2024
    12. November 2024
    13. 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    14. October 2024
    15. September 2024
    16. August 2024
    17. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    18. July 2024
    19. June 2024
    20. 2024 Innovation supplement
    21. 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    22. May 2024
    23. April 2024
    24. 2024 Buildings Supplement
    25. March 2024
    26. 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    27. February 2024
    28. January 2024
    29. December 2023
    30. November 2023
    31. 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    32. October 2023
    33. September 2023
    34. Health Supplement
    Featured

    July 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    July 6, 2025
    Recent

    July 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    July 6, 2025

    June 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    June 4, 2025

    2025 Innovation supplement now available

    June 4, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
Sam Walton

November 2014: Who does more efficient production really benefit?

PW ReportersBy PW ReportersOctober 29, 20143 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

About the only word I can think of to describe arable farmers at the moment is “idiots”. Having had the worst prices for many years, we carry on and drill cereals, rape and beans for another year, without having the faintest idea what price we’re likely to receive after next harvest.

What other industry would do that? Would you go to work not knowing what you were going to be paid, when the return you might get might not cover your costs of going? It’s the same sort of thing if you think about it.

I receive text messages almost every day from some marketing lady who happily tells me wheat has dropped another pound per tonne, or she’ll gladly buy 1,000 tonnes of oats next harvest at £10/t under current wheat prices, or rape has increased another £1 after falling £5 and can be delivered to Liverpool or Hull docks at a price well under production costs.

But that’s the problem we face and have always faced when we buy everything at retail, sell everything at wholesale and have no say in either. Maybe that’s why we’ve seen an increase in those entrepreneurial farmers who now sell privately, go to farmers’ markets or have perhaps opened a farm shop.

I realise, of course, that not everyone can do that, so congratulations to those who do. It was interesting to see the number of entrants for that category in the National Pig Awards, so perhaps the number of producers using those techniques is greater then we think.

I have to say all entrants for all the awards categories took a lot of sorting out. I think I can safely say we didn’t have one bad entry, and the standards being achieved these days is almost mind blowing.

One question that’s often in my mind is just how far can we go in improving production efficiency, and if we do improve, will the buying fraternity take the extra margin we produce? It reminds me of the visit I made several years ago to a farming family in Lancashire that had 120 sows and 150 cows. I remember saying to them that I had a fair idea how he would be doing with his sows, but I was out of touch on what he would be achieving with his cows.

He told me that he and six others were in a small marketing group supplying milk to one of the large supermarkets through a third party, and that they were really struggling. Apparently they’d written to the retailer telling them they were struggling to make ends meet at the price they were being paid.

After six letters, the retailer got fed up and set up a small committee to go round the UK to see exactly what it cost to produce milk. The answer they got at the time was 27.1p/litre, and its response to the producers was that it would pay them 26.9p. Says it all really!

> Yorkshire farmer Sam Walton is a former pig producer and the founding editor of Pig World

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleUK pig numbers and commercial pig holdings
Next Article Pig Industry Scholarships attract strong student interest
PW Reporters

Read Similar Stories

Current optimism means producers can fix the roof while the sun shines

October 5, 2017

Global pork news gives our producers plenty to cheer

May 6, 2017

The price is right for a prosperous year

February 1, 2017
Latest News

ABN kicks off pioneering long-term mill project

July 11, 2025

Red Tractor to press ahead with new tiers for outdoor pig producers

July 10, 2025

Last chance to enter or nominate for 2025 National Pig Awards

July 10, 2025
Sponsored Content

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

April 30, 2024

Tackle the root cause of PWD with free diagnostic tests

March 1, 2024
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Senior-Level Pig Stockperson – Ref 1760 Hampshire

    • Hampshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1759 North Yorkshire

    • North Yorkshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1758 Norfolk

    • Norfolk
    • 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.