Pork producers get lowdown on costs

THE environmental superiority of pork over beef and lamb and the amazing cost of theft by starlings were among the topics at a spring conference.

It was organised by international pig breeder ACMC at its headquarters at Beeford, East Yorkshire, and about 120 farmers heard from a range of expert speakers.

Ed Sutcliffe, technical director of ACMC Ltd, said environmental impact was an issue which had to be addressed nowadays but their business started with some advantages.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He quoted a global warming survey which showed pork second only to poultry in its environmental impact. Feed efficiency and reproductive efficiency would be the main drivers in further lowering the industry's carbon footprint, said Mr Sutcliffe.

"The most efficient pigs, with the best feed conversion ratio, will have a distinct advantage in terms of market appeal. For breeders, accurate feed recording will be increasingly important," he said.

Market influences were likely to be favourable towards the British industry, he added. These included better-informed consumers demanding animal welfare assurances. Phil Baynes, commercial technical manager of SCA Nutec, spoke on the "colossal cost" of getting any aspect of feed management wrong.

He said the current cost of rearing a pig, using seven diets, carefully formulated for each stage of rearing and finishing, was 48.37. But a whole range of factors could affect that.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Formulation was one. Wastage was another. A rat seen might mean 50 unseen; a pair of rats could produce 70 adults in a year; and a 100 rats would eat half a tonne of feed a year. A thousand starlings could eat 10 tonnes a year – costing 1,710 in a rearing herd with an average diet cost of 171 per tonne.

Related topics: