The Scottish Government has announced funding for a national disease control project to eradicate Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) in Scotland.
A commitment of £438,700 will go towards halting the disease, which costs the pig industry estimates of £80 a sow, and £3.50 for every finished pig.
The project will look to test affected premises, put in controls to stop the increasing spread and improve biosecurity standards on pig farms.
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The funding will be managed by Wholesome Pigs Ltd – a not-for-profit company owned by the commercial pig farmers in the country.
It will help map where the disease is located and educate farmers on how they can improve their biosecurity.
An app will also be used to allow farmers to get a tailored assessment of their biosecurity on-farm to help them curb disease spread between premises.
Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie said: “The impact of a disease infecting a farm can be devastating to a farmer and this project will be a real benefit to the sector which is already taking steps to deal with PRRS though vaccination.
“Improving biosecurity as a result of this project will also help prevent the introduction of other pig diseases, such as African Swine Fever (ASF), which is currently spreading across Europe.”
“The costs of controlling an ASF outbreak are huge, with the knock on costs of losing export markets, so it is absolutely vital that government and farmers work together to take steps to protect Scottish agriculture businesses, improve animal health and welfare standards, reduce the reliance on veterinary medicines, and increase productivity through the introduction of practical solutions, like this project.”
Director of Wholesome Pigs (Scotland) Ltd Andy McGowan said: “The Scottish pig sector has an admirable track record of collaborating to control and eliminate disease, contributing to a 38% reduction in carbon emissions per kilo over the past two decades.”
More information about PRRS can be found here.
