PigWorld

1 week ago | pig-world.co.uk | Alistair Driver

A total of 160 farms are now participating in a national Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) testing initiative in Scotland, with 76 farms undergoing detailed biosecurity assessments. This dual effort, funded by the Scottish Government and supported by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), forms part of the PRRS Control and Elimination of Swine Disease (PCES) project, managed by Wholesome Pigs (Scotland).

1 week ago | pig-world.co.uk | Alistair Driver

The NFU and NPA have issued cautious responses to the US-UK trade deal announced by president Donald Trump and prime minister Sir Keir Starmer today. Details are still relatively thin on the ground, but the UK government said the deal provides ‘unprecedented market access for British farmers with protections on food standards maintained’. Defra secretary Steve Reed said: “Labour promised to uphold the highest agricultural standards which is exactly what the US trade deal does.

1 week ago | pig-world.co.uk | Alistair Driver

Pig farmers across England will soon be able to apply for grants of up to £25,000 for equipment to help boost productivity, manage slurry or improve animal health and welfare. Defra has announced that the next round of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF), worth £46.7 million, will open for applications on May 29. As under previous iterations of FETF, there will be plenty of options for pig farmers.

1 week ago | pig-world.co.uk | Alistair Driver

The NPA has warned government ministers that a failure to recognise the differences in animal welfare standards between the US and UK under a future trade deal would be a ‘betrayal’ of UK farmers. In a letter to trade minister Douglas Alexander highlighting some of the industry’s concerns over a potential US trade deal, NPA chair Rob Mutimer seeks clarity that ministers’ assurances that UK food standards will be upheld in any future UK-US trade deal will include animal welfare standards.

1 week ago | pig-world.co.uk | Alistair Driver

The Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) has told MPs the £3.1 million offered by Defra for illegal meat controls is not sufficient to protect UK livestock from potentially devastating diseases circulating in Europe, as the row over funding at Dover escalates. Lucy Manzano, DPHA’s head of port health & public protection, was heavily critical of the department’s approach to national biosecurity in a submission to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee inquiry into the subject.