The Farmers Mart Oct/Nov 2013 - Issue 30 | Page 23

PIGS NPA’S LAUNCHES ‘DON’T KILL ME WITH KINDNESS’ CAMPAIGN Environmental activists who want to see a lifting of the European Union ban on feeding kitchen and catering waste to pigs may be sending confusing signals to hobby pig-keepers, warns the National Pig Association. NPA’s newly-launched Don’t Kill Me With Kindness campaign explains that feeding kitchen and catering waste carries a penalty of up to two years in jail because it risks introducing costly and damaging disease epidemics to Britain. Don’t do it, urges NPA. You wouldn’t want to be the person who is blamed for a new epidemic. The 2001 foot-and-mouth epidemic was caused by feeding inadequately treated catering waste to pigs. It took nine months to bring under control, during which time 10 million pigs, sheep and cattle were slaughtered, and it cost the country £8 billion. In Britain and throughout the European Union it is illegal to feed raw or cooked catering waste to pigs, including waste from household kitchens. It is permissible to feed pigs fruit and vegetables direct from the garden or allotment, but feeding waste from the kitchen is illegal — even raw or cooked leftover vegetables, as these may have come into contact with raw or cooked meats. NPA’s campaign invites pig-keepers and caterers to visit NPA’s website page to get the facts. “Whilst NPA understands why people may think feeding food waste makes perfect sense, we want everyone who keeps pigs to follow the law to the letter because we feel that the stakes are too high,” said NPA general manager Dr Zoe Davies. “Rather than take unacceptable risks by feeding catering waste to pigs, we think it is more sensible to tackle waste further up the chain, so that far less of it is wasted at manufacturing, retail and household level. If we could achieve that as a society, then well-meaning environmentalists would not have to worry so much about the amount of waste food that is currently going into landfill.” www.npa-uk.org.uk/disease.html Sainsbury’s ploughs £1 million investment into British farming Sainsbury’s is pledging £1 million to its British farmers and growers as part of an investment in the future of British farming. The Sainsbury’s 2013 Research and Development Grant, launched in September, calls for long term sustainable solutions to improve UK livestock, aquaculture, horticulture and agronomy practices and processes. The grants, To read more, visit www.farmers-mart.co.uk which are open to over 2,000 farmers and growers with whom the retailer works across the UK, come at a time when growing conditions and prices have become more volatile. Applications opened on Wednesday 4 September and closed at Friday 18 October 2013, with awarded projects to be announced at Sainsbury’s annual farming conference on Friday 6 December. Judith Batchelar, Director of Sainsbury’s Brand said: “Following the initial success of the R&D grants we awarded last year I look ???\???YZ[???][???]]?B???X????YH??Y?H\X?][????H\?H??Y???????[H?]?\???\Y\????X?\??[????\??\?H[?H??\???\???]?[?? ? ????[Z]Y[??[??Y[???X?[???[\????]\????\?\???\? ? ???\?Z[?X?[]H[???\??\??Y\???[?????^HY?]X[]K??\???]\????[???H?[?[???^\???][??\??[H[??H[?HY??X?Y[??^H??[????[?Y?]??B???H?\H?Z[????'\?[???]H[[Z[?[??\????\?Y?X?[\?[?YX]\?????H?^B?[??X?\??][[?\??H??[?Y\??]?[?\?]HH[\X????[X]B??[??H[???\]][????H?\?Z[??X???Y ??'B??Z[??\?x?&\??\?Y\?]?[?Y[????\?\????Y???]\??\? ? ??\?Y\??X????[???X?\???\??B?Y?X?[\?[\?X\? Z\?K?YY???[X???X[ Y????X??[??Y\?K?X] [????X?JK?[?\?X?[\??Z[??\?x?&\?\??Y[?\]YY??]?[?\??K[XY[??Z\?H]?[?Y[???\ ??H?X???\?]\?H??????X?[?[?[??X?^\?H?Z\??X?H[??Y[??H??\???[?[X[?[?\?H[?[??\??Y[?[??\???X?[]K????\?Y\??X\??? ?? ? L?????