A European consortium of pig research, knowledge transfer and producer partners, operating under the leadership of AHDB Pork, is seeking €2 million (£1.5m) of funding to finance the sharing of best practice on technical production and knowledge transfer across the EU.
Named the EU Pig Innovation Group (EU PIG), the consortium includes19 organisations from 13 member states which together accounted for 92% of the EU’s pigmeat production in 2014.
Co-ordinated by AHDB Pork’s technical innovation manager, Charlotte Evans, EU PIG is seeking EU funding under the Horizon 20:20 programme, having missed out on a similar application last year by “the narrowest of margins”.
“EU PIG partners have a common desire to share and present best practice and research results on four specific themes: pig health management, precision production, welfare and meat quality,” said Ms Evans. “This is the most effective way of gathering information and getting it out to levy payers while avoiding duplication. The main focus will be on topical issues that are relevant today, not work that was done 10 years ago.
“We will be looking at pulling together knowledge that is not only in people’s heads but also books, papers, reports and on websites.”
While the new funding application will take until the summer of this year to be settled, consortium members have agreed to “keep in touch” to make sure their new impetus is not lost.