The pig identity parade (From Gazette & Herald)

The pig identity parade

ONE of my first tasks of the New Year is to respond to a consultation paper reviewing the regulations covering the identification and records for pigs.

DEFRA, still seen by many as the Department for the Extermination of Farming and Rural Affairs, has made a pretty average mess of the cattle sector where hundreds of thousands of queries remain in limbo at the BCMS computer centre; and their proposals for the sheep sector are totally impractical and complimentary comments from the leaders of industry on the double-tagging proposals include "crass stupidity", "a practical nightmare" and a "total non-starter".

Well you can't say fairer than that! And now it is the turn of the pig industry to face the tagging tango.

At the outset, I would say that there does need to be some better identification procedure for pigs, as was nearly disastrously demonstrated at Selby market where the suspect sows could not really be traced.

The least demanding option is that we do nothing but rely upon existing regulation, but this would be in breach of the EU rules and would probably lead to the imposition of fines on the UK.

The most sophisticated, expensive and impractical suggestion is that all pigs should have an individual electronic identification tag which would go with them throughout life. The cost of both the EID tagging and the recording operations would be prohibitive and make British pork even more uncompetitive than it is now.

The middle of the road option appears to me quite reasonable and unless I get comments to the contrary would propose recommending as follows:

All pig-keeping premises must be registered with DEFRA and allocated a herd number which will be the same as for cattle and sheep, so there should be no duplication.

All pigs will be identified with this herd number by tag or tattoo on the holding of birth before six months of age or before the animal leaves the farm. Pig producers that I have talked to seem to favour tattooing which is less expensive and more reliable.

All pigs going to slaughter will be slap-marked with the herd number of that holding.

If a pig has two moves before slaughter then it would be possible to tattoo the second holding number in the other ear, but thereafter we run out of ears, and the pig would have to go direct to slaughter on its third movement.

DEFRA is also trying to require all pigs being moved to be marked with an indelible paint which will last at least 21 days.This seems to me to be going too far and we should be allowed to continue with the present marking system rather than add further expense.

If anyone has any comments or other ideas, please let me know.

Finally, a couple of comical exemptions are also under the microscope.

What are we going to do about our feral and wild boar population, as it would take a brave man to start tagging these in the wild?

"The pet pig lobby" has made itsr voice heard. They will be allowed to walk their pets, provided they have a special licence issued by the DEFRA divisional vet!

Foreign pork for the army

I got a letter from Dougie I'Dell, an ex-farmer living in Norton, who was quite cross about an article in last week's Daily Express by Antony Worrall Thompson, the TV chef.

The thrust of the Mr Thompson's argument was that the armed forces, schools and hospitals did not buy British meat because it was too expensive.

He is staunchly pro-British and his suggested solution was for the Government to provide a subsidy for the home product.

Like Dougie, I think he has missed at least part of the point.

Because Europe and the Great British public demand, quite rightly in many instances, that meat in this country is produced from animals reared under the highest welfare conditions, and with optimum traceability, the added expense is unquestionable and even the latest rules on pigs, which are explained above, will cost the industry around £3.5m a year.

Returning to the armed forces, which are paid for entirely by the British taxpayer, I cannot conceive why there isn't an absolute instruction allowing the British army only to buy British meat except when this is not available on foreign duty.

David Sheppard's grain prospects

A lot of cereal producers will be gazing into their crystal balls to see what the year holds for them and David Sheppard has sent a few pertinent grain comments:

It's harsh but true that one man's crop disaster is another man's opportunity; and the effects of El Nino in Australia have not only cut production dramatically for the current harvested crop but may well adversely affect plantings for 2004.

Closer to home, there is the spectre of cheap grain from the Ukraine and Russia in particular, but if there was to be any significant lack of rain in the region this would have an impact upon our trade.

In the USA, farmers have reacted to strong prices by planting an extra 3m hectares of wheat.

Current estimates show that UK farmers have planted a similar acreage of wheat so a large exportable surplus is again on the cards.

Unfortunately, it appears as if feed wheat has been favoured at the expense of milling quality, which is all very well if the world is short of feed grain; but comes unstuck when the world buyers require bread-making wheat.

We may have to hope for a weaker pound against the Euro, combined with a few strategic crop problems in other countries for our own prices to move up much.

Malting barley growers are encouraged by the forward prices being offered and there has certainly been a brisk demand for spring barley seed with growing contracts at a three-year high.

Topical tales

Just a couple of newsworthy tales to report:

Double celebration for Geoff Midgley - Geoff is one of Tom Midgley's five sons and I believe started work for Stanley Beal before moving under the Machin umbrella at Brandsby.

Geoff, together with the late John Machin, transformed Spella Farm from dereliction to top-line production.

In recent years, Geoff has had another change of direction, in taking on the reception duties at the Machin Abattoir at Busby Stoop.

At a village event last week, Geoff was presented with a very handsome carriage clock and has since gone off to celebrate his 40th wedding anniversary with his wife Margaret in Scotland.

After all the rubbish put in front of us today, it is a comfort to hear of someone who is honourable, reliable and enjoys what he is doing.

Bank manager's double cropping - My anonymous correspondent sent me a true tale about a farmer from the Midlands who went to see his bank manager to borrow money to purchase 40 acres of land. Having been asked about his cropping programme, the farmer said he would grow barley, to which the manager offered the following good advice.

If he grew spring barley and then followed this with winter barley he would be getting two crops a year; and would soon have the loan paid off!

If only life were that simple!

One in, one out - The same correspondent offered names for the "one in, one out" competition. He would have kicked Peter Tatchell out of the country and brought in three brigades of the Gurkha Regiment!

MARKET REPORT

Tuesday's market saw 138 cattle including 43 OTMs; 1,119 sheep including 155 ewes. Heavy steers to 106p (P Hicks & Son, Scackleton) average 95.6p; light heifers to 130p (G I Marwood, Harome) ave 101.5p; heavy heifers to 134p (G I Marwood) ave 100.8p. Bulls, Cont light to 102p (Martin Marshall, Pockley) ave 98.4p, heavy to 110p (P Neesom, Wilton) ave 96.4, black & White bulls to 86p (P Allen, Little Barugh) ave 80.4p. Hoggs, standard to 123.7p (D B Wass, Sinnington) ave 112.65p, med to 121.1p (T G Warriner, Pickering) ave 111.61p, heavy to 122.5 (D Hairsine, Rudston) ave 110.79p, overweights to 112.2p (W Burdass & Son, Harpham) ave 106.07p. Ewes to £76.50 (F J Hodsman & Son, Eddlethorpe), ave £51.79.

Updated: 11:11 Wednesday, January 08, 2003