An abattoir-based health scheme for the pork sector will be scrapped after falling pig numbers caused a drop in available levy funds, the AHDB has announced.
The AHDB’s Pig Health Scheme (PHS) collected pig health data at selected abattoirs and provided feedback to producers.
But a forecast drop in funding from about £10m this year to £8m in 2023-24, meant the service could no longer be sustained.
The decision is also part of the AHDB’s refocusing of its pork funding after the Shape the Future vote by levypayers in the spring.
The results of the vote means the AHDB will concentrate on three main priorities – domestic marketing, exports and pork sector reputation.
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A spokesperson said all AHDB projects, tools and services were being reviewed as a result of the levypayer vote. In the case of the PHS, this means that AHDB is unable to fund it beyond 2022.
The announcement comes just days before AHDB’s “Delivering the Future of Farming” event, when levypayers will be able to discuss the new priorities with AHDB staff.
Speaking ahead of the exercise, AHDB chief executive Tim Rycroft said sector reputation was now key to producers.
“We’ve looked at the work we do on animal health and welfare and tried to focus on work that is actually supporting reputation.
“We’re proposing to stop work on things such as the Pig Health Scheme, which does not make the same kind of contribution to reputation.”
Disappointed
However, National Pig Association (NPA) chief executive Lizzie Wilson said the organisation was disappointed at the loss of the scheme, although it understood the decision.
“The Pig Health Scheme is a really useful initiative for farmers,” Ms Wilson said.
The NPA will look at an alternative initiative, the Food Standard Agency’s Collection and Communication of Inspection Results, which also provides feedback data
“We now need to look at how this can provide maximum benefit to our members,” she said.
Campaign criticism
Meanwhile, the AHDB has defended its latest pork promotion, which excluded the word “British” in its main title.
According to the NPA, its members were concerned that the AHDB’s “Feed the family for less with pork” campaign could backfire.
“Many within the sector have questioned whether the campaign could steer consumers towards cheaper cuts of imported pork rather than British,” the NPA said.
But the AHDB’s corporate affairs director, Guy Attenborough, explained the levy board was forced to act under international trade rules, preventing the country of origin in the title.
“The issue here is that AHDB levies are classed as public money because they are compulsory and seen as a tax,” he said.
“Under the subsidy/state aid rules for promotional work funded by public money, it is unlawful to mention origin except as a subordinate message to an evidenced quality message,” he said.
