FW Awards 2011: Pig Farmer of the Year finalist – David Neal
David Neal
Dent Limited, Pickering, North Yorkshire
David Neal doesn’t baulk at a challenge. In the five or so years that he has worked for Dent Limited based in Pickering, North Yorkshire, he has not only changed the company’s production systems, but also those of the 100 farmers that he relies upon to meet exacting welfare and contract requirements.
Making changes to systems that others believe are sufficiently good is never easy, but in a very short time he has managed the culling, relocation and re-stocking of four outdoor breeding herds; changed the outdoor weaner/finishing operations from continuous flow to “all in, all out`’; installed three pyramid systems for the breeding herds; adopted Freedom Food quality assurance standards within four months on eight breeding units and 60 nursery and finishing units; and created detailed protocols for new systems that make this huge outdoor operation look easy.
And there is so much more that this highly enthusiastic, dedicated and engaging individual wants to achieve. Today he presides over the third biggest pig business in the country, totalling 14,000 sows – a business that has grown annually over the past five years and 40% in the past 12 months alone.
The shrewd acquisition of Cranswick breeding herds in 2005 by Thomas Dent was a critical turning point, says David. It came with all rights to the Swedish Hampshire boar line that is essential to deliver Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference pork. Since then, David has spearheaded a high welfare route, ensuring points of difference and value for the Dent pig business.
Following the Cranswick acquisition, David managed the cull of the breeding herds [due to poor production] and re-stocked and relocated to better land within 12 months. It was the start of major expansion and now, with 80 staff, he runs 10 breeding herdsand 90 weaning and finishing units supplying 60% of Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference pork.
“It’s a big business, but attention to detail should be no different on a grand scale,” says David. Pig welfare is paramount: the “all in, all out” policy with wash-down and rest time between all batches has hugely benefited herd health and helped feed conversions.
Mortality rates have fallen from 8.4% to 2.1% in 18 months. None of his piglets are teethed or tailed and he is using needleless guns for vaccinations to greatly reduce stress.
He is also a great believer in walking his piglets and sows everywhere he can and on the day the judges visited a group of 15 or so gilts were happily walking the mile from the dry sow paddock to the farrowing paddock. “It’s a lot easier, and far less stressful, for the pigs to walk rather than put them on a trailer,” says David.
David’s ability to think laterally about the principles and disciplines he learned on indoor units is behind the “farrowing radial” concept – an important part of the Dent Protocol. “I wanted a system that would deliver the benefit that individual farrowing accommodation allows in the early lactation, but also maximise feed intake to sustain milk production later on,” he says.
David clearly enjoys working with people and is quick to point out that the business is a success due to the expertise and dedication of those around him – from Jenny [“who’s worth her weight in gold”] in the office to the “expertise” of the fieldsmen and staff that run the units. We reward new staff after three months with an extra £1/hour, have performance bonuses and a clear career path to fieldsman. As well as our own protocols, we give all staff regular training organised by BPEX. “I couldn’t deliver the quality standards that we aspire to without well-trained and motivated staff,” he says.
Farm facts
Dent Limited, Pickering, North Yorkshire
Businesses: outdoor pig production; haulage; dairy
Pigs: 10 breeding herds; 90 weaning/finishing units
Staff: 80
What the judges liked
• Ability to challenge the status quo and drive through change
• Implements high welfare standards in his business, and others
• Sets down clear staff protocols that leave nothing to chance
• Observes, measures and constantly refines