Farmer Focus: Pig sector is finally having a good spell
With a successful and upbeat Pig Fair having been and gone, it was back to work. Shortly after I visited Woodheads slaughter facility with Gordon and John from Scottish Pig Producers and five other Aberdeenshire pig farmers, who supply the Colne plant.
We had an excellent tour of the plant from the lairage through slaughter, boning, cutting, packing and despatch. Killing pigs, cattle and sheep all in one plant, it was a busy place and looked to be very efficient, with many supervisors in collar and tie keeping things going and up to the high standards you would expect to see in a food production plant. In the chills we found and tried to find fault in “Mossie’s” (2013 Farmers Weekly Pig Farmer of the Year) pig carcasses, but they all looked well – just what the customer wants. Well done Mossie.
Pig prices seems to be stable and with cereals getting even cheaper, the pig sector is having a good spell for a change, making us sympathetic towards those finishing cattle who paid good prices for stores and are now left with a waiting time to get fat cattle slaughtered, and a poor price compared with earlier in the year.
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Crops are looking very well and going through the growth stages quicker than the sprayer can keep up with. Wheat is waiting for its head spray and spring barley its fungicide and growth regulator before too many awns appear. A few spraying weather days would be nice before the start of the Highland Show.
Every year the Huntly, Insch branch of the NFU holds stock judging on a member’s farm to raise money for a charity. This year it was a special event to celebrate the life of Joe Watson, a renowned agri journalist who spent his life writing about all aspects of agriculture in Scotland and beyond. A huge turnout of farmers on the night showed just how much he was valued and respected. More than £4,000 was raised for charities, with the Joe Watson Memorial Cup presented to the winner by his brother and his niece.
Danny Skinner farms 440 sows selling finished pigs through Scottish Pig Producers. He runs 125ha at home and rents a further 50ha, growing cereals for home mixing.