Urgent - please fill in our survey to support the case for zinc

We are running a survey to gather information to back our case to retain the ability to use zinc in piglet diets. 

The survey, which will take just a few minutes to complete, seeks basic information on how slurry and manure is handled on members' units. It includes a request to indicate the level of zinc in the slurry/manure applied to your land, if known and applicable.

The survey can be accessed here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MHLK3LM

We need answers by Monday, January 16, so would urge producers to complete the survey now. 

Answers will be treated anonymously. 

• Please note: We have omitted one very important category from Q1 - breeder to finish. Could anyone in that category please indicate it in the 'other' column? Apologies!

Battling the proposed ban 

The NPA is currently working with other organisations at UK and EU level to prevent a ban on the use of zinc in piglet feed, following a surprise recommendation from an EU veterinary committee towards the end of last year. 

NPA senior policy advisor Georgina Crayford said: "Information generated from this survey could be extremely useful in supporting our case against the proposed ban on zinc oxide, which plays a major role in tackling scour in post-weaning piglets.

"We are particularly interested in knowing the degree to which slurry from pigs treated with zinc oxide for 14 days post-weaning is mixed (and therefore diluted) with slurry from untreated pigs (pigs of all other ages).

"Ultimately, the hope is that we can demonstrate that dilution is commonplace and therefore the environmental risk is reduced.

"I must stress that all answers provided will be treated anonymously.

"Filling in the survey really could help our efforts to retain the use of zinc oxide."