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

    May 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    May 1, 2025
    Recent

    May 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    May 1, 2025

    April 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    April 4, 2025

    March 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    March 6, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
Sam Walton

April 2014: Sharing info keeps the industry healthy

PW ReportersBy PW ReportersApril 4, 20143 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

I believe this is my 323rd column since the first edition of Pig World came out in June 1987. Quite honestly it seems like yesterday, and I’m left wondering where the time has gone.

The column was originally called Mainly About Pigs, and I suppose it usually was, but over the years other subjects seem to have crept in as well, which probably fits in with pigs being a more global item than they were in those far-off days.

Whatever else has changed, one thing has remained constant and that’s the determination that pig producers have to constantly overcome the many obstacles that are put in their path. Of course, pig producers don’t just have determination, they also have ambition; ambition to do better all the time – and much of that has been out of necessity.

I cannot find any other business where information is so readily exchanged. What manufacturer would tell a competitor if they found a secret way to make something better, easier or cheaper? But pig producers are happy to let others know if they’ve found a way to get an extra pig per sow, for example.

Food is a lot different from manufacturing, and it will become even more of an essential commodity in the coming years. We will need to produce more here in the UK, so we must all work together to produce a quality product that the processors want – hopefully to the exclusion of imports.

Had we not had industry magazines to inform producers as to what is going on and what the dozens of companies involved in our industry and others are doing, we would all have been grappling in the dark and wondering what was going on out there.

Another spur, I think, has been in the control of disease; the precautions to take, things we found effective and so on. If your neighbour didn’t take care, your own unit could well have suffered.

We’re lucky to have had so much meaningful research done and the knowledge disseminated, but I know there’s more done elsewhere now, in countries where agriculture is still deemed important.

I think it’s been very much in our own interest to keep talking and exchanging info to enable us to have healthy and thriving pig production. After all, it’s doubtful if we are ever again going to have 100% home production, so we’re hardly likely to put each other out of business.

If pig farmers had not been willing to have farm visits so others could read about what they do, Pig World would never have existed, so my personal thanks go to the hundreds of farms and companies I have visited during the past 27 years.

I still have yet to see two units the same, or if they’re the same structurally, they certainly haven’t had the same performance. Hence the natural diversity in our industry, even though they’re all striving towards the same end.

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

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleUS pig numbers fall
Next Article Cranswick sales increased 13% in 2013/14
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

UK livestock sectors urged to take part in survey on vaccine availability

May 14, 2025

APHA to use genomics to boost disease surveillance in £10m project

May 13, 2025

AHDB and Livetec join forces to stage ASF contingency planning workshops

May 12, 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
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1738 Co. Fermanagh

    • County Fermanagh
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1737 Shropshire

    • Shropshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Managing Director

    • Oxfordshire and North Yorkshire
    • United Pig Co-operative (UPC)
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
  • 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.