Pig Farmers Rise to the Challenge!

From January through to April of 2008 a group of 34 farmers met every other week to take part in the Business Challenge for Pig Farmers. The meetings were organised by Liz Donnelly and Mark Hawe, Greenmount Campus, CAFRE. During the programme producers discussed a wide range of practical topics including the cost of producing a pig, the variation in costs on units in Northern Ireland, ideal creep and link levels, how to calculate the livestock manure nitrogen loading for their unit and factors affecting pig health.  The Business Challenge for Pig Farmers finished last week with a trip to the Pig and Poultry Fair in Stoneleigh.  The group of 17 producers who attended the Fair thoroughly enjoyed the trip.  All attending found something of interest including mobile meal mixing plants, self inseminating catheters, scanners for reading sow tags, balance farrowing crates, upward facing nipple drinkers designed to reduce wastage and even body warmers for pigs! Most of the producers who took part in the Business Challenge for Pig Farmers will be awarded a NVQ qualification in the autumn, recognising their individual level of professional achievement. However the real benefit for participating producers will be seen when they put into practice the know how gained during the ‘Challenge’ on their units. The farmers attending also commented on the value of being able to discuss and hear the views of other pig producers.

Liz Donnelly and Mark Hawe with the group of pig producers who attended the Pig and Poultry Fair at Stoneleigh last week