Scottish Pig Industry Strategy Forum

Bob Yuill of SAOS, who is coordinating the consultancy task group, introduced the meeting opening with perceived issues that ranged from ASDA's 2p sausages to reduction in greenhouse emissions targets.

The meeting was a chance for farmers to influence the task group that's been established to identify measures across a broad range of areas that can help ease the sector back into profitability.
Team members and their specialist areas are:
Andrew Moxey – the importance of the Scottish Pig Industry
David Strachan – pig health
Alan Stevenson – processing facilities and what is needed for the future
Stephen hall – production efficiency
Jim Booth – environmental footprint

The purpose of the meeting was to report on the work that would inform the Scottish Government who, it was felt, did not understand the pig industry and its importance to the economy.

Andrew Moxey spelt out economic and social contribution;- turns out marketable outputs generating employment and income. Multiplier effect generates jobs upstream and downstream so importance is far greater than it. The industry was specifically described as:-
40,000 breeding pigs from 440 holdings
700,000 finished pigs from 650 holdings
250 or less commercial businesses some of which are specialist pig farms. There is therefore a combination of breeders, weaners, finishers. Final output has an estimated worth of at least £58m. 890-1100 (full time equivalent) jobs; 2000 (FTE) on pig enterprises.
Wage bill of around £11m. But then there is downstream – slaughtering £150m.
5% exported from Scotland of the remainder 80% goes to retail, 8% wholesale and 9% further processing. Upstream the pig industry is an important supporter of local economies. Not just wages but everything spent in local economy.

Pig Health – David Strachan spoke about Wholesome Pigs – Scotlands Health Status
Small co-operative industry,
Lower prevalence of disease ( salmonella (8%), Blue Ear, PAR, Mange, Enzootic Pneumonia, Sivine Dysentry)
Industry's desire for health improvement.
Better disease surveillance, almost 100% uptake of Wholesome Pigs Scheme
Some lower health status holdings already shut.

New testing regimes can be applied to breeding stock to reduce salmonella further.
Herd health declarations could assist eradication of diseases. Drawback with no record of movements including into Scotland.

Benefits – improved industry competitiveness
– marketing advantage
– potential for breeding stock exports.

Alan Stevenson has been fact finding for the project, he has visited
3 slaughterhouses owned by wholesalers
7 questionnaires returned
3 dedicated pig slaughterers
1 by product processor
1 major retail packer
full survey of product mix in major multiples.
1 pork processing plant
1 pig transporter
review of pork products on sale to Polish community in UK

Findings included high praise for quality and noted an average deadweight carcase as 72 to 80 Kilos.
Co-operation between producer and processor evident.
Balance is important with concerns about creating surplus cuts that would require discounting.

Alan said wholesalers could be more proactive in marketing. He revealed wastage in offal:- skins, bungs even tongues and plucks. Processors relying on 25% Gross because costs are 20-22% all recovered from cuts. He lamented virtually no funding for training for over 19's in meat industry.

Major sustainability of the Scottish Pig industry is intrinsically linked to the major multiples. Alternative supplies that they are relying on will not be there for ever. They should be more serious about continuity of their suppliers. There was no premium for Scottish Pork or Bacon.

Processors feel reluctance of consumers to pay more for pork.
SFMTA is unaware of Scottish butchers selling English Pork because they simply cannot source Scottish. [Correct us if we are wrong]

Jim Booth, SAOS has been examining the Environment Impact of Scottish Pigs.
1. Carbon Footprint
2. N2Vs

Drivers –
Climate change and Government policies ( new climate change bill)
12-13% greenhouse gases emanates from the pig industry (Scotsman article stated 25%.
Major supermarkets
High cost of energy – need for business efficiency.
Tesco target green labelling on all their products within 5 years and be the first in world to do so. (see Tesco website for statement)

Measuring the Carbon Footprint?
650m tons carbon in UK

Three main greenhouse gases
Methane CH4 – 21 x more polluting
Nitrous oxide N2O – 310 x more polluting
Carbon dioxide CO2 – 1
Complex and hard to understand so can only be an estimate.

Carbon footprint of the Scottish Pig Industry.
DEFRA funded Cranfield University in 2006 based on English conditions. (Scotland could be more efficient and there is more home milling.

	Sheep	Beef	Pigs	Poultry
Primary energy (mega joules	23	28	17	12
Carbon emissions (gwp) over 100yrs	17	16	6.4	4.6

Source Defra 2006

Huge advantage for pork and poultry.

Opportunities –
gain a better understanding where GHG emissions occurring
consider practical/feasible mitigation actions
develop an Industry wide Action Plan
contribute to strategy to build Scottish brand.

Carbon footprint of organic farming is greater because it is less productive.

NEW NVZ REGULATIONS
Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
– Where are wve?
– Action identify best practice.

Risks because of uncertainty of going down wrong route but too early to make any judgement.