News

The latest version of the Red Tractor Pigs Standard will come into force from October 2017.

A coalition of UK farming organisations, including NPA, have called for a transition period to ease the impact on the industry of leaving the EU. 

Defra will be raising the risk level of African Swine Fever from ‘very low’ to ‘low’ following recent cases discovered in Romania the Czech Republic and Poland. 

The tool that Defra uses to measure risk uses a number of factors such as trade with the country, distribution of disease and confidence in controls by the country affected.

The risk of African Swine Fever (ASF) entering the UK pig population has been identified as number one exotic diseases concern for the industry.

African Swine Fever continues its deadly spread

African Swine Fever has been identified for the first time in Romania, in domestic pigs on a backyard holding. Whilst the source is stated as unknown, humans are most likely to be the cause as many of these European countries struggle to express the importance of not feeding swill to back yard pig keepers.

UK farm animal use of antibiotics is comparatively low against many of its European neighbours, according to a European report.

Farmers and vets are being urged to continue following current prescription guidelines and completing courses of animal treatments.

The BVA has demanded clarity from the Government on animal welfare standards, following the publication of a House of Lords report.

The NPA has welcomed a House of Lords report warning of the threat to UK producers of allowing the country to be flooded by low standard food imports.

A Lords committee has warned UK producers would be placed at a competitive disadvantage if Brexit resulted in a flood of lower standard imports.