Nick Munce

Brian Rice, Head of Marketing & Technical for Production Animals, said: “As well as the technical aspects of the role, Nick will bring a strong focus on sales and business development. He will be working closely with vets and producers to ensure that we are providing the best possible service to support our key products which target diseases including PCV2 and swine influenza.“

Nick moves from his role as Business Manager for Igenity, Merial’s company providing DNA services to the UK cattle industry. Prior to that he was Senior Territory Manager for Merial in Northern Ireland, and launched Circovac during his time in this role.

Nick said: “Merial has some cutting edge products in this sector. We were one of the first companies to take up the challenge of producing a PCV2 vaccine, and Circovac now has the advantage of being the only product with a licence for both sows and piglets. The industry has tended to vaccinate piglets, but there is a growing body of evidence that supports whole herd vaccination including sows and gilts.

“We are also the only company to offer a swine influenza vaccine in the UK. Independent research has shown that swine influenza is much more prevalent in the national herd than previously thought. It’s a production disease that can affect key performance indicators. In sows it can affect return to oestrus, cause abortion, increase the number of still born piglets and decrease lactation. Therefore, there is a strong economic case for considering preventative treatment,“ said Nick.

“These are challenging times for the industry and I am looking forward to working with vets and producers promoting the benefits of Merial products,“ he added.

Further Reading Find out more information on swine influenza and PCV2 by clicking here.