More than eight million pigs, across nearly 800 UK farm sites, now have their data recorded on the eMB-Pigs system, according the latest figures from AHDB Pork.
New figures, as reported by NPA, show that data covering 4,019,598 finishers and 4,245,446 weaners is now listed on the database, alongside entries for 174,155 breeding animals.
These totals represent 22% of 2015 slaughterings and 18% of 2016 slaughterings, against an industry data target of 70% of production. This is the figure considered necessary to give a credible indication of wider industry usage, ahead of talks to set new 10-year sector targets to reduce and refine antibiotic usage.
“It is about us collectively taking ownership of our destiny,” said NPA senior policy advisor, Georgina Crayford.
“If we do not have the data, we are effectively sidelined. The Government will decide for us, based on what it assumes we currently use, partly based on data presented by other sectors.”