Close co-operation between the British pig industry and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has resulted in a revised protocol for veterinary supervision at Artificial Insemination (AI) stud farms.
The farms have shown that, by reducing veterinary inspections to once a week, an experienced pig vet can attend the boars without having any contact with other pigs, thus reducing the risk of spreading disease. DEFRA is now satisfied that a suitable internal protocol is in place to enable any early signs of disease to be picked up, evaluated and reported.
Led by PIC's Meritxell Donadeu, the National Pig Association Breeding Companies Group, in conjunction with Defra, drew up the revised protocol that offered the required security and also reduced the cost of inspections.
Debby Reynolds, the Government's Chief Veterinary Officer said: "This is a good example of the partnership approach envisaged by the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy. Industry demonstrating where controls could work better; Defra listening and working with the industry to achieve a better protocol that ensures good welfare and reduces disease risk."
Ian Campbell, on behalf of the National Pig Association, said: "This is one of several instances where an improved dialogue between the British pig industry and Government is producing controls that are 'fit for purpose'.
"Nobody gains if controls kill off the economic viability of the British pig industry but equally nothing will do that faster than inadequate national biosecurity leading to further disease incursions."
The European legislation (EU Council Directive 90/429/EEC and Commission Decision 1999/608/EC) require as a condition for a semen collection centre to be approved, to be placed under the permanent supervision of a centre veterinarian (Annex A, Chapter 1,1). It also requires that for intra-community trade, the boars must show no clinical signs of disease on the day of collection (Annex C,1). There is a considerable variation among Member States with the interpretation of permanent supervision by a centre veterinarian, with once a week or less considered sufficient.
In the United Kingdom, current guidelines state that boars on a centre holding either EU or Domestic licence should have a veterinary inspection within 72 hours of collection.
Additionally, when semen is used for intracommunity trade, the boars from which the semen is collected must be examined on the day of collection.
The industry expressed to DEFRA concerns that the second routine visit each week was putting at risk the health of the animals that the examination was designed to protect and therefore requested that they consider a weekly visit only from the Centre veterinarian for both EU and Domestic licensed studs. DEFRA agreed to consider this request on the basis that industry adhere to a Code of Practice which allows the Centre veterinarian to have permanent supervision of the AI centre. This is not in conflict with the requirements for intra-Community trade as laid out in EU Council Directive 90/429/EEC.
