Pig producers wanted for project to inform future funding opportunities

Agricultural and environmental consultant, ADAS, is looking for farmers to take part in a research project that will inform future Government schemes to promote good welfare on pig farms. Here, ADAS livestock consultant John Walton sets out what will be required. 

We are looking for pig farmers to take part in a Defra-funded research project to inform development of future voluntary funding schemes to support farmers in delivering animal welfare enhancements.

ADAS is working with the University of Bristol and the Royal Agriculture University to collect farm-level data on the welfare benefits and economic costs of welfare enhancements.

What type of farmers are we looking for?

We are looking for farmers that have welfare enhancements in place and are achieving good animal welfare. In particular we would like to speak to farmers who have:

• Free-farrowing systems
• Temporary crate systems
• Keep pigs with intact tails
• Straw bedded systems.

Farmers will need to be able to provide access to good welfare and performance records and be willing to discuss their experience of implementing higher welfare enhancements.

What does participation in the project entail?

Completing an online survey to collect background information on your farming system and the animal welfare enhancements in place, as well as the results achieved.

Then a follow up telephone or virtual call to gather more detailed information on the impact of the welfare enhancements on costs (upfront and ongoing) and returns, and welfare benefits those enhancements deliver.

To compensate for your time, each farmer will be paid £100 for taking part.

Data collected will remain entirely confidential and contribute to an anonymous dataset for analysis. Neither the farm nor any individual associated with it will be identifiable in any of the results that will be published or stored.