Turbulent times for NI pig producers

Coronavirus (COVID-19) had a very real effect on Northern Ireland’s (NI) pig farms.

Initially, Germany’s largest slaughterhouse was closed temporarily due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the premises. This meant NI producers who usually send cull sows to the processing plant were unable to do so, with farmers not only having to deal with the backlog but a period of greatly reduced prices in the following months.

Again, COVID-19 played havoc with the industry towards the end of the summer. A local factory was forced to close for a period of two weeks following an outbreak at their site. Some producers suffered financially with a depressed price paid for pigs for several weeks immediately after the reopening of this plant. Thankfully, prices have now recovered.

The UFU pork and bacon committee have submitted two separate papers detailing the losses incurred by farmers throughout these pandemic related closures. These submissions will be considered under the COVID-19 support scheme. The committee are due to meet again with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and Agriculture Minister Poots in the near future, in a bid to finalise a support package for all affected farmers.

Amid financial concerns faced by farmers, the threat of African swine fever (ASF) continues to be relevant. ASF has spread from the far east over the past months and is now common in eastern Europe. The disease is also present in Germany, with a small number of cases having been discovered in the wild boar population. Thankfully, no cases have been found in the farmed population of pigs in Germany to date and there is no natural wildlife host in NI.

The main threat of ASF arriving on our shores comes from contaminated pork products. With that in mind DAERA have been pro active in raising awareness to international travellers to NI. The UFU pork and bacon committee would like to remind farmers to maintain strict biosecurity and adhere to the following guidance:

- You should only allow essential visitors to enter your farm and insist that they wear clean, disposable clothing and footwear.

- Do not allow people who may have been in contact with other pigs on to your farm.

- Do not allow staff and visitors to bring pork products on to the farm.

The committee have also been meeting with CAFRE over the past number of months. Currently, there is a lack of provision of education relating to pig production. The committee continue to engage with CAFRE in a bid to ensure that students at all levels have an opportunity to develop skills and an interest in what is a successful industry.