BPEX Weekly: 09 October 2009

Look out for…

NVZ calculator

Two calculators to help BPEX levy payers work out their statutory calculations required by the NVZ regulations will soon be available on the BPEX website. There will be one for continuous throughput systems and one for batch systems, the batch one having a significantly different approach to working out throughput.

Action for Productivity quizzes

Soon you will be able to test your knowledge and see how well you have absorbed the information presented in the popular Action for Productivity series of factsheets! Interactive online quizzes are being created based around each of the factsheets, which will not only test your knowledge but help you learn more by providing feedback on each question. Watch this space!

Sausage Week

Instore British Sausage Week promotions

Glorious Gammon

Anthea Turner regional radio interviews to launch the Glorious Gammon campaign for Xmas

Marketing News

Vote Bangers and Mash

Click here and vote!  If sausage and mash is voted as the most popular school meal it will help with the attempt to allow sausages to be served twice every 3 weeks on the school menu as opposed to the current once a fortnight.  The poll closes shortly so please vote NOW!  Also please forward the link to any other pig industry contact who might be interested.

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Last chance to enter the South West Butchers product evaluation event. To be held in Exeter at the Sandy Park Conference Centre, on Wednesday Oct 14th. This event provides butchers and farm shops the opportunity to enter their products for evaluation by a team of experienced experts, with the opportunity of being awarded a gold, silver or bronze award. During the afternoon everyone has the opportunity to chat to the 10+ exhibitors and other entrants while the judging takes place, with the presentations being made on the evening. For more details go to www.porkforbutchers.co.uk and download an entry form.

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The supermarkets are all gearing up for the event, with the majority taking part in some way.  This includes:

• J Sainsbury – online campaign
• Morrisons - Shelftalker on fixture, 3 per store in 436 stores.
• Asda – on pack stickering on ‘Extra Special’ lines and online activity on asda.com.
• Aldi and Lidl – on pack stickering.
• Lidl to promote BSW in its instore ‘Best of British’ flyer.
• Co-op – BSW logo to be incorporated onto selected sausage lines and 3 week promotion on Co-op in-store radio, beginning on 26 October.
• Tesco – on pack stickering on Finest lines.  Approx 1m stickers ordered.
• Waitrose – on pack stickering and competition in Waitrose Chronicle

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Knowledge Transfer

Sign Up for Txt Alerts

Be sure to keep up to date with the latest information on events in your region, and notifications of any disease outbreaks, by registering for text and email alerts on the BPEX website. By signing up, you will also be able to access the market intelligence section of the BPEX website, which is designed to give users all the generic market intelligence they need to make strategic business decisions. Sign up here by entering your phone number and region.

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Tip of the Week - Piglet Survival

Newborn piglets are poorly equipped to keep warm immediately after birth; they are small, lack brown fat, don’t have hair and are born wet. Drying newborn piglets will help minimise the fall in piglet body temperature as it is the evaporation of farrowing fluids that contributes to heat loss. There are a number of products which can be used in farrowing crate preparation which aid drying of the floor, limiting bacterial growth.

It is not law to add bedding to the farrowing area but it will aid drying, limit drafts and reduce temperature losses from newborn piglets. Small amounts of bedding by the sow can help in the nesting process and preparing the sow’s hormonal system for farrowing.

For more information see Action for Productivity 14: Newborn management.

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Latest BPHS Dates

The latest BPHS assessment dates are:

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YHH Meetings

Yorkshire and Humberside Health has had two Health District meetings in South Humberside, Beverley and Holderness. These meetings were a great success and demonstrated enthusiasm to investigate forming clusters. Both had great discussions about what can be done. The map showing unit locations provided considerable interest to everyone. If you have missed these two meetings you are very welcome at any of the others over the next two weeks.

Dates and venues for all Health District meetings are below.

All producers are invited to come along and meet others in the neighbouring area – you should find a meeting within 30 minutes of you.

The aim of the meetings is to form local producer clusters.

A sandwich buffet will be provided at all meetings.

We look forward to seeing you there.

For further details please phone: Charlotte Evans 02476 478796; Sam Hoste 01653 694490; David Thelwall 01765 602514

Also check out www.yhh.org.uk for the latest information.

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National News:

Pork Aboard Orient Express

An important market for pork has been re-opened following lengthy negotiations.

South Korea used to be a valuable export market which was closed following the last outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in 2007.

A revised list of approved plants for the export of pork has been received by our embassy in Seoul.

BPEX Export Manager Jean-Pierre Garnier said: “Although this has been a long time coming, this is indeed good news for our sector. Korea used to be an important export market for us taking 1,774 tonnes, worth up to £2.2 million in 2005.

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Pork supplier Cranswick said first-half sales rose in line with expectations, helped by an acquisition, but the business had been impacted by the rise in pig prices to record levels.

Cranswick -- which supplies fresh pork and gourmet sausages to the food retail and manufacturing sectors -- however, said prices now appeared to have peaked.

Excluding sales from the pet business, turnover rose 19 percent, of which 7 percent was related to the newly acquired Cranswick Country Foods Norfolk.

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By working closely with the Food Standards Agency the poultry industry has successfully reduced the risk to consumers from salmonella to low levels, new FSA data confirmed today.

However, the FSA findings also highlighted the work that still needs to be done to reduce levels of campylobacter.

The FSA has published the findings of a survey which showed campylobacter was present in 65 per cent of the samples. Salmonella was present in six per cent with the more dangerous Enteritidis and Typhimuriun strains present in 0.5 per cent of samples.

NFU poultry board chairman Charles Bourns said: “The industry and the scientific community still have much to learn about campylobacter and what farmers can do in their businesses to reduce its presence at retail level.

“This survey confirms the importance of the work the NFU is now involved in with the FSA. This type of industry-government partnership has been invaluable in the past and will be vital in the future.”

FSA advice still remains that properly cooked chicken is safe to eat.

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NPA Chairman Stewart Houston has launched a broadside at the supermarkets accusing them of squeezing until the pips squeak in an open letter. A story based on the letter is due to appear in this week's Grocer.

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Supermarkets have shown themselves to be almost impervious to the recession, growing profits while other retailers foundered.

But both Tesco and Sainsbury's have now warned the bolstering effect of rising food inflation is coming to an end.  And as the big names scrap for a larger slice of the UK pie, the battle for the nation's wallets is fast turning from eye-catching promotions to customer loyalty.

Tesco, the UK's largest retailer by a distance, reported half-year profits at the top end of analyst expectations this week, at GBP1.4 billion - a rise of 1.5%.

But while the wheels are far from coming off the supermarket giant's trolley, the firm also said the days of big like-for-like sales increases were numbered as food inflation narrows.

According to Office for National Statistics figures on key grocery purchases, the price of pork sausages fell 2% in the 12 months to August, following an 18% leap the previous year. White bread prices jumped 23% between 2007 and 2008 but have since fallen back, by 3%.

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International News:

EU GM Policy

No more soy shipments are reaching European shores from the USA. Under the current EU zero tolerance policy, agricultural imports with even the smallest trace of unauthorised GMs are unmarketable. As a result several ships have been turned and importers are shying away from the risk of such imports. Last week, Canadian authorities confirmed that shipments of linseed to the EU have been stopped for the same reasons.

This situation could generate shortages in the feed industry by December at the latest. The animal feed industry has pointed out time and again that its competitive position is endangered and is demanding prompt, practical regulations to be introduced.

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An EU ban on US soybeans could cost the Dutch feed and livestock industries dearly, as inevitable feed price rises take their toll, Agrarisch Dagblad reported this week. Losses of between €13 and €19 million are now due to feed price rises, while the feed sector will see even greater losses a report from the Dutch agricultural economic institute LEI found.

LEI presented the report at the request of the Dutch Productboard Margerine, Fats and Oils (MVO) and Nevedi, the umbrella organisation of animal feed manufacturers. Pig and poultry feed prices are now seen rising by between 3% and 11%, whilst a shortage of available protein substitutes would mean a reduction in feed quality.

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For the latest international prices, click here

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EU Price Forecasts

The latest EU pig meat price forecasts are now available on the BPEX website. Please click here for more.

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Belgian Prices Alarm

Pig producers in Belgium continue to send out alarm signals as they feel they continue to be underpaid for their pigs by large retailers.

Production costs for producers amount to €1.40/kg, but they get paid €1.08, the website of the Flemish Information Centre for Agri- and Horticulture (VILT) reports.

"Strikingly, on their websites large retailers show off with 'fair prices' and 'respect for producers', but we all know this is not true," said Steven Lafaut, spokesperson for the Trade Union for Pig Producers (Veva).

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