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
Zoe Davies, NPA

December 2013 – Proud of our industry’s talent and achievements

PW ReportersBy PW ReportersDecember 2, 20134 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

I wanted to begin my column this month by congratulating South-west vet Pete Bown on being chosen as this year’s David Black Award winner, and Tony Wright, of Shedden Farms in North Yorkshire, our new Trainee of the Year winner.

I attended both events and was touched by the emotion displayed by both men. It really does make me feel so very proud to be part of an industry that can boast such talent, and which celebrates its achievements in such style – at the Palace of Westminster, no less.

In recent weeks, the NPA has been presenting its arguments in favour of honest country of origin labelling and its opposition to the reintroduction of swill feeding. That meant two more visits to the House of Commons. The NPA and The Pig Idea were among those that took part on a Parliamentary panel for agroecology that debated ‘food waste and pig feed’.

We found out about this event by chance and were shocked that only one side of the argument was going to be presented. No one had thought to ask us for our views, even though we would be the people who would (supposedly) be using the swill so enthusiastically championed by The Pig Idea.

After much hectoring by the NPA, I was given a place on the panel that included Tristram Stuart and Thomasina Miers from The Pig Idea; Philip Lymbery of Compassion in World Farming; Peter Jones, a director of food waste specialist Ecolateral; Anna Price, a pedigree pig producer in favour of feeding waste food to pigs; and Simon Fairlie, author of Meat: A Benign Extravagance.

A number of pig industry representatives coherently helped outline the NPA position that swill feeding is too great a risk to pig health and that the industry wasn’t convinced it could be safely reintroduced. But after a lively debate, it was agreed that there was sufficient common ground between The Pig Idea campaign and the pig industry to move forward on food waste. However, we remain opposed to the reintroduction of swill feeding.

Consequently, we’re now investigating how much more, on top of the 1.23 million tonnes of co- and by-products we already feed in the pig industry (43.9% of total pig feed) we can safely utilise. We estimate that out of the 15 million tonnes of food/drink waste produced each year, 3.2 million tonnes (21.33%) from manufacturing could be fed to pigs providing the correct controls via FEMAS were put in place. This is the sort of food we are already using, of course.

Country of origin labelling has taken a surprising turn since I last updated members at our regional meetings. The European Commission (EC) is still proposing product labels should carry ‘reared in’ and ‘slaughtered in’, but has now changed its mind over the minimum period to qualify for ‘reared in’ status. It may now agree six months, which is a great improvement on the two months it proposed originally. If we can’t get ‘born, reared and slaughtered’ then this is a pretty good compromise.

The EC is also suggesting that the term ‘origin’ will mean ‘born, reared and slaughtered’, and will therefore be able to carry the flag of the specific country. But before we get too excited, this has all got to be agreed via a vote at the end of this month, so we’ll be working with Defra to make sure everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet. Watch this space.

To finish I’d just like to wish you all a happy Christmas and a very prosperous New Year (fingers crossed)!

> The NPA’s regions manager Lizzie Press is standing in as general manager during Zoë Davies’ maternity leave

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticlePersonnel changes announced at Agrosoft
Next Article Pig antibiotic guidelines updated
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

Cranswick ‘disappointed’ after Environment Agency rejects permit for proposed Norfolk development

September 4, 2025

Nearly 50,000 pigs culled after African swine fever outbreaks in Latvia and Estonia

September 4, 2025

Scotland’s PRRS project to receive further government funding

September 4, 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 1774 Aberdeenshire

    • Aberdeenshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1773 Aberdeenshire

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

    • Aberdeenshire
    • 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.