A new updated website packed with useful information and statistics has just been launched by BPEX Ltd.
 
The site, www.bpex.org.uk, is designed to be much more focused on providing practical information to the Engish levy-payer while being much easier to navigate.

The site has four key elements: practical advice, market intelligence, marketing and publications.  

There is also a tickertape running across the home page carrying pig prices, feed prices and slaughtering figures.  

BPEX Strategy Co-ordinator Andrew Knowles said: “The market intelligence section is new and it is massive. It is designed to help everybody, from a small producer to large processors and retailers, make well-informed business decisions.  

“Not only will the site carry the DAPP, but also the top 20% and bottom 20% prices, weights and probes making it much broader and more useful in what it offers.  

“There will be access to everything from physical performance, consumption, international prices and slaughterings. For each area there will be graphs and data which can be downloaded and used how people wish.  

“It really is a one-stop shop for any information anybody in the pig industry might need.”  

The home page has a simple log-in and once that section has been completed it will remember people so there is no need to go through it again.  

Other elements such as Food Chain Information, Zoonoses National Control Programme and the British Pig Health Scheme, can all be accessed from the home page without logging on.  

There is also a facility to encourage people to sign up for text and email alerts; the former will be used for issues such as updates during an outbreak of animal disease, while the email will let people know about new publications and web updates. The site includes an industry diary to which anybody can add events.

Marketing News 

Pigs Are Worth It  

The petition has reached more than 18,000 registered supporters and the pigometer has now topped £115m. 

SBYH Radio Requests    

The list (on the BPEX website) gives text request numbers for more than 200 radio stations across the country listed alphabetically by town.   

Please text your local stations to request they play "Stand By Your Ham". Text the name of the radio station followed by "Please play Stand By Your Ham by the Flying Piglets" to the text number provided – and forward the list on to anyone who you think might want to help. To access the list, click here.

Pig Cuts Ad

This has been revamped slightly, in a vertical format and a slightly different sign off line, for use within the trade press.    MTJ April 11 issue, along side a bacon feature.    Plus The Grocer April 19 issue, alongside a meat and fish supplement.

Promitional Material  

This is now available which includes an information leaflet with the pig cuts ad, a red car sticker and a 1metre long banner detailing the website, all available to order from 01908 844194 or on line at http://www.pigsareworthit.co.uk/merchandise.html

LIPS at Sainsbury's 

LiPs will be carrying out in-store sampling of Fresh British Pork in eight Sainsburys stores in the South East during April and then another eight in the Birmingham area towards the end of the month/early June. 

Asda Promotion 

From April 14, on all the fresh pork fixtures in Asda stores nationwide there will be tear-off British Pork recipe leaflets. 

Knowledge Transfer  

Tip of the week  

Check the environment in the finished pig accommodation – test controllers and sensors, clean and service.  

Grower-Finisher Workshop  

When: Tue, 29 Apr, 17:30 - 20:30    (refreshments provided)
Where: The Crown, Boroughbridge
Description: This is a BPEX workshop for stock people, facilitated by Hugh Crabtree from Farmex. This entertaining and interactive workshop will focus on good feeding herd management to improve performance and maximise profitability. To register call Lis Ravn on 0789 165 56784 or email lisbeth.ravn@bpex.org.uk   

Getting to grips with IPPC   

BPEX would like to invite you to one of the spring workshops: Understanding and complying with an IPPC Permit.   

The workshop will focus on the following areas:

• Environment Agency visits
• Understanding permit conditions
• The pollution inventory
• Improvement plans

  What is BAT?

This is a great opportunity to ensure permit conditions are complied with, to meet, discuss issues and ask questions. The workshop will be led by Nigel Penlington of BPEX,and is for operating pig farms within the IPPC regime. The format is flexible to allow you to ask questions and improve your understanding. 

• 23^rd April, Richmond Park Golf Club, Thetford; 
• 28^th April, Earls Green, Stowmarket; 
• 30^th April, Hodnet. 4.30 pm for a 5.00 pm prompt start, finishing at approximately 7.00pmwith refreshments.

To register contact Michelle Horan on 01908-844734.

  NADIS Latest  

Sudden death in young weaners associated with Mulberry Heart Disease has recently appeared in NADIS Veterinary reports. The condition is highly complex and is fundamentally a result of Vitamin E/Selenium requirements of the pigs outstripping supply.    This may occur in a number of situations: 

i)            Extremely fast growth

ii)            Inadequate Vitamin E/Selenium provision in diets

iii)         High saturated fat levels in diet ‘binding’ Vitamin E

iv)        Decay of Vitamin E within diets

v)            Genetically determined increased

Vitamin E requirements  

Typically in the UK, creep diets contain much higher levels of Vitamin E than ‘early weaner’ diets to meet the pigs’ need and producers should be aware that any cutting back of expensive early diets – while probably slowing growth and reducing Vitamin E requirements – can push pigs into a deficiency state that can be manifested by sudden deaths due to Mulberry Heart Disease.  

National News:  

NFU Feed Fears  

The NFU, wider agricultural industries and food manufacturers are increasingly concerned that the EU is in a precarious and unsustainable position regarding feed imports, due to its GM approvals process and zero-tolerance policy on low-level presence (LLP) of non-EU approved GMOs.

Due to the EU zero-tolerance policy on LLP, the reaction to an isolated incident of non-commercialised GMO being found is the same as for each incident of non-EU approved GM material in imports, even if the latter is grown on millions of hectares in a major exporting country. Protracted EU approvals, huge demand for new improved GM traits, growth of Chinese. export markets and increased meat consumption in developing countries mean new GM varieties are being commercialised without gaining EU approvals first. 100% purity cannot be guaranteed and identity preservation is increasingly expensive (for both EU GM and non-GM).   

The economic impact on livestock sectors and the food chain overall, from feed price increases and trade disruption, will be significant and is already being felt. The retail sector is yet to fully accept that there is a problem they need to address.   

EU Forecasting Group  

The overall discussion focused on the Europe-wide increase in feed price. The European producer price has reacted far more quickly than UK prices. The EU expected price increase for 2008 in comparison with last year is 11.3%, but includes a large variation from Romania who are only expecting a 2.4% increase in price to the French expectation of a 22% increase. Looking at world prices, US pigmeat producer prices are very low due to recent over-production coupled with very high feed prices.  

In terms of EU production for EU25 it is expected that levels of pork production will decrease through the year in comparison with 2007. In the 4^th quarter it is expected to be 4.1% lower than in 2007. Third country pork imports are gradually increasing year on year following the slump in 2004 after the new accession states. EU Exports to third countries are predominantly focused on Russia with Japan and Hong Kong both significant markets. Japan is 12.3% of EU pigmeat export volume and 23% of value, with Russia 34% of volume and only 26% in value.  

International News:  

Pork Industry Dying Say Farmers  

The New South Wales Farmers Association has endorsed claims made earlier this week that the Federal Government must act now to save the local pork industry.  

It says the latest Productivity Commission's findings on the industry, that high grain prices rather than increased imports were the key cause of lower profitability for local producers, ignored the seriousness of the situation facing growers.  

NSW Farmers' newly-elected pork committee chairman, Malcolm Gett, Narrabri, says pork producers in NSW are disappointed with what they believe are flawed findings in the final report from the Productivity Commission's (PC) Safeguards Inquiry into the Import of Pigmeat.  

"We would suggest the Federal Government needs to ignore the PC findings, which indicate that despite record high levels of imports and the lowest pig prices in five years, increased imports have not caused and are not threatening to cause serious injury to the domestic industry," Mr Gett says.   

"The PC suggests that any safeguard action against imports of pigmeat is not warranted.  

"But Australian pork producers are baffled that the PC has chosen not to see the link between the record levels of pigmeat imports and the worst producer profitability crisis in living memory.   

"The simple fact is the local pork industry is dying and that's a tragedy for Australia but one the Federal Government can take action on," Mr Gett says.  

International Prices  

Click here for the latest international prices   

And finally...  

The parrot was a present from a friend. Fully grown, with a bad attitude and worse vocabulary. Every other word was an expletive, and those that weren't, were... rude.   

The new owner tried hard to change the bird's attitude and was constantly saying polite words, playing soft music, anything he could think of to try and set a good example. Nothing worked.   

Finally, in a moment of desperation, he put the parrot in the freezer. For a few moments he heard the bird squawk and kick and scream. Then suddenly there was quiet. Frightened he might have hurt the bird, he quickly opened the freezer door.   

The parrot calmly stepped out and said: "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I will endeavour at once to correct my behaviour. I really am truly sorry and beg your forgiveness."   

Astonished at the change in attitude, the owner was about to ask what had made such a dramatic change when the parrot continued: "May I ask what the pig did?