By BPEX - In response to the actions of Defra, the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government in the development of an Animal Health and Welfare Strategy (AHWS) for Great Britain the industry has devised a Strategy for British Pig Health and Welfare outlining the measures that need to be taken by all those with an interest in the future of the British industry. This article highlights the report contents, introduction and summary and provides a link to the full 18 page PDF document.

It is the intention that all pig industry stakeholders will be consulted on The Strategy for British Pig Health and Welfare. The objective of the strategy being to achieve a demonstrable and sustainable improvement in pig health and resulting welfare that will contribute to the recovery of the British pig industry and a sustainable rural economy.

If you would like to voice your comments on this strategy you can do so here.

CONTENTS

Contents
Foreword
Defra endorsement
Introduction
Summary
Vision for the future
Background
British Pig Industry
Pig Health and Welfare
Animal Health and Welfare Strategy
Priorities for actionEstablish a national structure to provide the focus, drive and planningfor a national pig health improvement programmeEstablish the present health, welfare and disease status of the British pig herdEnhance disease surveillance information available to pig producersUndertake intervention studies on disease control and eradication and supporthealth improvement programmes with adviceDevelop nationally-recommended biosecurity protocolsDevelop national protocols for new disease prevention and eradicationprogrammesQuantify risks and the consequences of emerging pig issuesEnhance training in disease identification and treatmentIncrease the programme of targeted pig disease researchTimescales for implementation
Measuring Success
List of acronyms
Government Animal Health and Welfare Strategy new initiatives

INTRODUCTION

The improvement in the health and welfare of pigs is one of the single most important factors that will determine the sustainability of the British pig production sector in the next 10 years and beyond. It is estimated that pig disease costs British pig producers at least ?0 million a year Improving the health of pigs will benefit customers through better quality meat and meat products. It will benefit producers and processors by saving costs and improving competitiveness. It will benefit the pigs themselves through improved welfare and it will benefit the country as a whole in helping to achieve government policy of a sustainable rural economy

Achieving this goal will be a huge task that can only be achieved through the cooperation and commitment of all those associated with the British pig sector be they producers, processors, veterinarians, the many supply businesses that support the sector and the government and its agencies. By working together we will all be able to realise the benefits that a sustainable British pig production and processing industry can deliver,

British pig producers have adopted welfare measures that are among the most comprehensive in the world as the Defra Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock: Pigs demonstrates. Pig welfare is a priority for the British pig industry and it has identified health and its impact on welfare as the most significant issue to be tackled in the next decade.

Disease is an ongoing challenge for man and animals. With rare exceptions diseases have not and cannot be eliminated in people so we cannot expect to eliminate all disease from animals. Diseases have evolved in parallel with animals and new challenges will continue to evolve. This strategy recognises that we all need to be vigilant. However the government and its agencies are uniquely placed as the front line of defence in reducing the risk of importing animal diseases. As the FMD outbreak in 2001 showed the benefits of stopping the introduction and spread of animal disease far outweigh the costs to the livestock sector and the wider rural and national economy

Ultimately it will be producers who have to bear the largest part of the cost of making the improvements in health and welfare. The strategy recognises that investment in improving pig health and welfare, whether by the industry or by government, has to demonstrate value for money It is therefore vital that the current health and welfare status of the British pig sector is established, targets for improvement are agreed and progress is monitored.