A welfare training platform for the pigs sector has been launched by the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) today, Tuesday, March 1.
The UK Pig Industry Welfare Training platform was developed in collaboration with Red Tractor, the National Pig Association (NPA), the Pig Veterinary Society (PVS), the Pig Health and Welfare Council and pig producers.
Its aim is to ensure there is a consistent and high level of welfare cross the pig industry and it kicks off with a module focusing on the moving and handling of pigs.
Everyone who is involved in the care, moving and handling of pigs on farm needs to complete the training by August 31, 2022, as part of Red Tractor standards.
“Having a professional workforce across UK farms underpins everything that we stand for, and ultimately this training is about reassuring consumers that Red Tractor pork has been farmed with care,” said Georgina McDowell, technical manager for pigs at Red Tractor.
“We fully understand that the pig sector faces a difficult time, and this training is a vital part of giving shoppers the confidence to buy British pork,” Red Tractor’s pigs scheme chair, Stewart Houston added.
Pig Industry Welfare Training programme
The moving and handling module takes one hour and 30 minutes to complete, however you can pause and save your progress as you go. Once successfully completed, a certificate will be issued that can be saved for Red Tractor audits and on PigPro, the industry’s online training record.
Rob Beckett, a producer from Yorkshire who was involved in the testing of the training with his team said the feedback on the module has been positive.
“Every one of them has admitted that they have learnt something, including a couple who have more than 25 years’ experience in the industry,” he said.
“And they have all said that the software is straightforward to navigate and is laid out in a simple format.”
The training will cost £10/person/year, however the cost will be waived for the first 8,000 people who register or for the first six months (whichever is reached first) post-launch.
The training module can be found on the AHDB pork website.
