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
    • October 2025
    • 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
Subscribe
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. October 2025
    2. September 2025
    3. August 2025
    4. 2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement
    5. July 2025
    6. June 2025
    7. 2025 Innovation supplement
    8. May 2025
    9. April 2025
    10. March 2025
    11. 2025 Buildings supplement
    12. February 2025
    13. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    14. January 2025
    15. December 2024
    16. November 2024
    17. 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    18. October 2024
    19. September 2024
    20. August 2024
    21. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    22. July 2024
    23. June 2024
    24. 2024 Innovation supplement
    25. 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    26. May 2024
    27. April 2024
    28. 2024 Buildings Supplement
    29. March 2024
    30. 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    31. February 2024
    32. January 2024
    33. December 2023
    34. November 2023
    35. 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    36. October 2023
    37. September 2023
    38. Health Supplement
    Featured

    October 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    October 2, 2025
    Recent

    October 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    October 2, 2025

    September 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    September 1, 2025

    August 2025 issue of Pig World 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
Zoe Davies, NPA

August 2014: Plenty of niggling issues to tackle at the NPA

PW ReportersBy PW ReportersAugust 7, 20143 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

Aside from the daily demands from my nine-month-old son, who has just learnt to crawl and is now determined to get at everything he’s not supposed to, the world of the NPA continues to be a maelstrom of various issues, all with competing importance.

First off, we’ve more niggling problems with bovine TB (bTB) cropping up in pigs. Cases are still few and far between, but the impact on individual businesses is huge as there’s no compensation for pigs, and as there’s no pig-specific policy, cases are dealt with differently depending on where they appear.

The most recent case is most concerning as AHVLA’s failure to decide the best way forward is holding up a whole pyramid of pigs. This not only places significant pressure on the source farm, but affects the farms further down the chain. We’re urgently requesting a meeting with DEFRA to resolve the wider issue of how bTB in pigs should be dealt with, while at the same time trying to get an agreeable solution for this particular producer. This is crucial because of the precedent it will set if other large businesses have similar problems in the future.

We’ve been looking, with Defra, at whether PEDv should be notifiable or reportable. Now before you recoil in horror at the “N” word and all the connotations that could entail, let me explain. Apparently the only difference between reportable and notifiable is that reportable means you have to report it following a positive test result, while if it’s notifiable you report on suspicion, so before the disease is confirmed by test results, but probably with convincing clinical signs.

If it were notifiable, for instance, we would potentially find out about it much sooner and maybe contain it before it could spread far, which has to be good. We still need to look at potential trade impacts, but you’d think the sooner the disease was contained and eradicated, the sooner trade could resume.

We’re also still reeling from the latest news from the EC on its enforceable “guidelines” on manipulable materials and tail biting. Despite sustained lobbying from NPA and COPA, not only do we still have emoticons (smiley or sad faces) to determine what the commission thinks makes a good manipulable material, it has also steadfastly refused to remove the requirement for the materials to be edible.

Quite aside from the fact that this word isn’t in the original directive, which is blatant gold plating, no financial impact assessment has been conducted to determine just how much this will cost EU pig producers! We’ve managed to get more time to try and make the best of a bad job, but I just hope our discussions with DEFRA are more sensible when we have to decide how to apply the guidelines here.

> Dr Zoë Davies is chief executive of the NPA. For more information visit: www.npa-uk.org.uk

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleScots monitor group focus on weaning
Next Article Peter Crichton’s commentary for August 8, 2014
PW Reporters

Read Similar Stories

Fighting the industry’s corner on many fronts

March 3, 2021

The big issues keeping the NPA busy

November 3, 2020

Preparing for coronavirus and ASF

March 6, 2020
Latest News

Pilgrim’s Europe reports big increase in profits

October 2, 2025

20t of illegal meat seized at Dover in September, despite funding and staff cuts

October 2, 2025

Last chance to vote for NPA Allied Industry Member of the Year

October 2, 2025
Sponsored Content

All Vaccines Are Not Equal

September 15, 2025

Enhancing Weaned Pig Health and Performance with Zinc and Iron

August 1, 2025
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1783 Shropshire

    • Shropshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stock Technician – Ref 1782 Yorkshire

    • North Yorkshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1781 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.