Northwest Pig Group
Uploaded March 2011

The new North West Pig Group got off to th b a fantastic start on the 12 February.

Me, Steve Richardson and Robert Burrows had put together a workshop for the BPA Pork Club and formed the Northwest Pig Club as this is the region that Steve and I cover. The workshop covered different topics of the pig world.

With more than 40 people booked on we were very pleased with the response.

Our first speaker was Charlotte Evans from BPEX. Charlotte gave a talk on Bio security and we discussed the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak. Our second speaker unfortunately was in hospital, but Janet Todhunter from Animal Hea1th kindly stepped in and gave us an interesting talk on rules and regulations from defra and answered questions. Marcus then stepped in to give a brief account of the BPA and its new magazine before we broke for lunch.

During Lunch Steve and l mingled round to try and get some feedback as to whether people were enjoying the day and was there any way we could make improvements. To this we had a great response.

After lunch Peter Gott did a carcase he had Stuart the butcher cut evaluation, up the Berkshire pig in two different ways. This was to show how you could get the best from your carcase so one half was cut one way and the other a different way show us the different types of joints and which had the best market value and how to utilise the waste that some might throw away. What a fascinating talk. Our last speaker didn't make it Chris Mason the vet had been called out on two emergencies but this didn't spoil the day we had an open discussion and Peter answered a lot of interesting questions.

Many thanks must go to our main speakers and also to Marcus for coming such a long way to support the workshop, which from the response we hope to be holding another later in October.

This workshop was free and through the RDA which and his team from the helped organise. funded Robert Burrows Rural Business.

Since the workshop we have had several phone calls and emails saying Thank you for a great and interesting day and how they were looking forward to the next One. So we were very delighted with our first attempt at trying to bring pig people together and hopefully helping anc answering any questions they may have.

Next workshop will be in October.

Tracey Bretherton
07884 071924
gracebank.pigs@yahoo.co.uk