NPA: Pig Industry Supports Feeding Waste Food to Pigs

UK - MPs were told that the British pig industry supports the concept of feeding waste food to pigs, but bringing back swill-feeding would be a risk too far.
calendar icon 16 October 2013
clock icon 3 minute read

Lizzie Press said there will never be a market for pig swill unless producers themselves think it is a good idea — and they remain to be convinced.

She said foot-and-mouth, classical swine fever and African swine fever are almost inevitably here in Britain already, in meat brought in by visitors.

And the only way to prevent major outbreaks, such as occurred in 2001, is to maintain uncompromisingly strict biosecurity to keep it away from farms.

Addressing the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Agroecology on food waste and pig feed, she stressed the importance to pig farmers of co-products and by-products.

But she feared the Pig Idea campaign to bring back swill feeding, was sending the wrong signals, even if the swill was treated in tightly-regulated plants.

Notwithstanding the differences between NPA and the Pig Idea, peace was in danger of breaking out at today's meeting, when NPA chairman Richard Longthorp observed that there was considerable common ground to be explored.

"Can't we just go for the low-hanging fruit?" he asked Pig Idea campaigners Tristram Stuart and Thomasina Miers. "Let's see if we can find some common goals."

Among the pig industry people who spoke from the floor at today's meeting in the House of Commons were Marcus Bates of British Pig Association, Michelle Sprent of Premier Nutrition, Jonathan French of BOCM Pauls, Jill Thompson, on behalf of Pig Veterinary Society, producer John Rigby and Paul Featherstone of Sugarich.

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