UK - Where there's pig muck there could be brass thanks to Grampian scheme
Published:December 24, 2004
Source :Yorkshire Post
Farmers could earn substantial guaranteed income by utilising spare farm buildings to feed pigs – and use the muck to reduce fertiliser costs and boost cereal yields.
Grampian Country Pork is looking for farmers with spare cattle courts to feed pigs from 30kg to 115kg to meet the increasing requirements of its Buckie and Broxburn pig processing plants in Scotland and at Malton, North Yorkshire.
The scheme requires minimal capital outlay – with help from Grampian if required – and offers an attractive return with minimal risk.
The company will supply the pigs and feed and cover veterinary and insurance costs, while the farmer provides the buildings, straw and labour – keeping the muck for use on his own farm.
The opportunity of feeding pigs is likely to prove particularly attractive to farmers who may be considering reducing their cattle enterprises as a result of decoupling and have buildings to spare.
The company's production development manager, Jim Daviidson, said: "We are offering farmers a real opportunity to introduce a new enterprise offering a regular, highly attractive return.
"But the real bonus is the muck which we have proved on our own farms greatly improves soil structure and cereal yields."
At a time of soaring nitrogen prices, farmers may also welcome the opportunity to reduce their dependence on artificial fertilisers.
A 1,000-pig unit, putting through 3.25 batches a year on a 16-week cycle, will produce a return of £20,000 at £6.20 per pig, including a 40p per pig washing fee. No capital outlay is required, as Grampian supply the pigs and the feed, and the farmer receives a cheque at the end of each batch.
Specialist buildings are not required although investment in a feed bin, augur and hoppers is usually required for the ad lib feeding system and will keep labour requirements to a minimum.
The company also offers finance for this investment if required which can be paid off by deductions from payments for rearing the pigs.
Pigs must be managed in accordance with Grampian's production manual but only rudimentary stockmanship skills are required rather than specialist knowledge of pig management.
Management is supervised by company personnel who are also responsible for the selection of pigs ready for slaughter. An all-in, all-out system is operated and Grampian pay for the cleaning of buildings between each batch.
Mr Davidson said: "The farmer has a guaranteed, regular income, offering good cashflow, provided our management guidelines are adhered to, with no exposure to the vagaries of the market in terms of pig and feed prices."
Research by Dr Ken Smith, principal research scientist with ADAS, Wolverhampton, shows that a 1000-pig unit will produce 980 tonnes of muck a year.
This is enough for 80 hectares, at an application rate which is 50 per cent of Nitrate Vulnerable Zone requirements, and represents a potential saving in fertiliser use of £3,200 a year at current costs.
In addition, the application of pig manure has the potential to increase cereal yields by one tonne per hectare, yielding an extra 80 tonnes of grain which, even at £65 per tonne, is worth £5,200.
Dr Smith said: "Considerable savings in production costs are achievable without compromising grain yield or quality. The potential for savings with pig manure is particularly great due to its high nitrogen content."
Average yields for Grampian's farms in the Turriff-Banff area last year were 3.75 tonnes per acre, with two farms achieving over four tonnes of winter barley, 4.1 tonnes for winter wheat, 2.39 tonnes for spring barley and 1.84 tonnes for winter oilseed rape.
Grampian have raised cereal yields on all the farms they have acquired, with cumulative increases as the soil structure is improved following annual applications of pig manure.
Mr Davidson added: "These are conservative figures which we have proved on our own farms are achievable and could earn a farmer an income of £28,500 from the payment for feeding 3,250 pigs a year and the extra returns from his arable enterprise."
Interested farmers should contact Grampian Country Pork on 01888 562673 or Jim Davidson on 07967 677444.
