//20 Jun 2011
Poultry farmers investing in new housing and production systems could get a discount of up to 0.8% on loan interest rates from Lloyds TSB Agriculture, which is being offered for a limited period.
“Lloyds TSB Agriculture has access to funds from the European Investment Bank which are available to encourage investment in small and medium sized enterprises including agriculture,” says Gareth Oakley, Agriculture Director at Lloyds TSB.
“We are expecting a lot of interest in the discounted rates from poultry farmers who need to update laying systems to meet the new European standards or who are wanting to make their production more efficient.
“The saving could be worth around £10,000 on a 10 year loan of £250,000, but funds are limited so we are urging farmers to act quickly if they want access to take advantage of the discount.”
A wide range of investments are eligible to be considered for the funding including buildings, some equipment and machinery. Minimum loan amounts are £25,500 with the maximum at £11 million. No project should cost more than €25 million, including funding from other sources. Loans of between two and 10 years may be eligible for a 0.8% discount, whilst if the project requires funding over a longer term (up to 25 years) the discount may still be available in the slightly lower level of 0.6%. Loans can be on a fixed or variable term basis.
“Some egg producers still need to invest in new laying systems if they are to comply with the rules that come into force in 2012 and continue in production, while broiler producers are investing in new facilities that use feed and energy more efficiently,” adds Gareth Oakley. “The discount allied to continued low interest rates could offer a means of investing in necessary improvements cost effectively.
“Producers wanting to take advantage of the scheme should speak to their local Lloyds TSB Agricultural Manager as soon as possible, with details available at www.lloydstsb.com/agriculture.”
Showing posts with label farmers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label farmers. Show all posts
13 May 2011
Vietnamese farmers finding ways for expansion
//30 Dec 2010
The Vietnamese pig industry has a mixture of larger and smaller pig operations – and especially for the smaller farms the communist world requires clever approaches to be able to obtain investment sums. Pig Progress visited three thriving pig sites with plans to expand.
By Stuart Lumb
Vietnam has the fourth largest swine industry in the world, with 4 million sows – hardly surprising as most Vietnamese prefer a bowl of pork and noodles for breakfast. The industry is an amazing one, with many large intensive units at one end of the spectrum, whilst at the other there are vast numbers of small backyard operators, making up about 30% of the total pig farm numbers.
The large number of small units poses a big headache to government authorities in terms of monitoring them should a major disease break out. Several large Asian integrators have established in Vietnam and they are seen as a threat to the many small family-run operations, as the integrators - by nature of their business, by being both feed compounders and pig producers - are better able to withstand the ups and downs of the pig cycle, as opposed to small independent pig farmers.
Dabaco & Mitraco Farms
•Bac Ninh City, to the north of Vietnam, is the location of a 3,000 sow unit owned by the Dabaco Vietnam Corporation (Dabaco Pig Raising Investment & Development Co.). Director Le Quoc Doan produces 20 pigs per sow per year. Slaughterweight is 100 kg liveweight and FCR from weaning to slaughter is 2.65:1 – which is considered to be too high. Yorkshire, Landrace and Duroc genes are imported from the USA and Canada. His farm is about to grow to 5,000 sows.
•Le Van Nhi is the director of the 1,500 sow Mitraco Breeding Joint-Stock Company, situated in Ha Trinh Province (mid-Vietnam). His farm produces 23 pigs per sow per year. Slaughterweight is 100 kg with weaning to slaughter Feed Conversion Rate (FCR) an excellent 2.45:1. The Mitraco farm is situated in a low pig density area, and enjoys high health status. Breeding stock (GGPs) are bought in from Charoen Pokphand in Thailand and as with the other farms are used to breed a Yorkshire/ Landrace F1 female. Biogas is used to generate electricity, with the plant generating 108 kW/hour over eight hours per day. The farm is doubling up in size in 2011 – labour is plentiful here, plus capital will be raised through public investment as Mitraco is a joint stock company.
Kim Long
Chung Kim is the director of Kim Long Livestock Producers and Feed Processing Company, which runs a 1,050 sow farm in Binh Duong Province. The company is a private one, as are many in Vietnam, despite the fact that Vietnam is still nominally a communist country. In fact, the bulk of farms are still government-owned, plus to further complicate the issue, there are many joint ventures operating as well.
Kim is a passionate supporter of the small family farm and has set up a pig farmers’ association in order to lobby the government and the banks. “The government says that the farmer can get credit from the banks, but the banks won’t lend,” explains Kim. “Our association has more power than an individual small farmer which we can use to get the banks to lend.”
With regard to his unit, overall pigs reared per sow per year stands at 22. His pigs reach slaughterweight of 95 kg at 165 days. He employs an extensive cross-breeding policy, based on Landrace, Yorkshire, Piétrain and Duroc genes. Kim has ‘broad shoulders’ – prior to 2006 he lost US$1 million, but fortunately his pigs are now back in profit.
This article became possible through kind cooperation of Olmix.
The Vietnamese pig industry has a mixture of larger and smaller pig operations – and especially for the smaller farms the communist world requires clever approaches to be able to obtain investment sums. Pig Progress visited three thriving pig sites with plans to expand.
By Stuart Lumb
Vietnam has the fourth largest swine industry in the world, with 4 million sows – hardly surprising as most Vietnamese prefer a bowl of pork and noodles for breakfast. The industry is an amazing one, with many large intensive units at one end of the spectrum, whilst at the other there are vast numbers of small backyard operators, making up about 30% of the total pig farm numbers.
The large number of small units poses a big headache to government authorities in terms of monitoring them should a major disease break out. Several large Asian integrators have established in Vietnam and they are seen as a threat to the many small family-run operations, as the integrators - by nature of their business, by being both feed compounders and pig producers - are better able to withstand the ups and downs of the pig cycle, as opposed to small independent pig farmers.
Dabaco & Mitraco Farms
•Bac Ninh City, to the north of Vietnam, is the location of a 3,000 sow unit owned by the Dabaco Vietnam Corporation (Dabaco Pig Raising Investment & Development Co.). Director Le Quoc Doan produces 20 pigs per sow per year. Slaughterweight is 100 kg liveweight and FCR from weaning to slaughter is 2.65:1 – which is considered to be too high. Yorkshire, Landrace and Duroc genes are imported from the USA and Canada. His farm is about to grow to 5,000 sows.
•Le Van Nhi is the director of the 1,500 sow Mitraco Breeding Joint-Stock Company, situated in Ha Trinh Province (mid-Vietnam). His farm produces 23 pigs per sow per year. Slaughterweight is 100 kg with weaning to slaughter Feed Conversion Rate (FCR) an excellent 2.45:1. The Mitraco farm is situated in a low pig density area, and enjoys high health status. Breeding stock (GGPs) are bought in from Charoen Pokphand in Thailand and as with the other farms are used to breed a Yorkshire/ Landrace F1 female. Biogas is used to generate electricity, with the plant generating 108 kW/hour over eight hours per day. The farm is doubling up in size in 2011 – labour is plentiful here, plus capital will be raised through public investment as Mitraco is a joint stock company.
Kim Long
Chung Kim is the director of Kim Long Livestock Producers and Feed Processing Company, which runs a 1,050 sow farm in Binh Duong Province. The company is a private one, as are many in Vietnam, despite the fact that Vietnam is still nominally a communist country. In fact, the bulk of farms are still government-owned, plus to further complicate the issue, there are many joint ventures operating as well.
Kim is a passionate supporter of the small family farm and has set up a pig farmers’ association in order to lobby the government and the banks. “The government says that the farmer can get credit from the banks, but the banks won’t lend,” explains Kim. “Our association has more power than an individual small farmer which we can use to get the banks to lend.”
With regard to his unit, overall pigs reared per sow per year stands at 22. His pigs reach slaughterweight of 95 kg at 165 days. He employs an extensive cross-breeding policy, based on Landrace, Yorkshire, Piétrain and Duroc genes. Kim has ‘broad shoulders’ – prior to 2006 he lost US$1 million, but fortunately his pigs are now back in profit.
This article became possible through kind cooperation of Olmix.
20 April 2011
New Zealand pig farmers concerned over PRRS introduction
//15 Apr 2011
Pig farmers in New Zealand are not happy with the government's plans to relax biosecurity around pork imports.
New Zealand Pork is concerned that waste from imported pig meat could end up in the food chain for New Zealand livestock, and potentially spread a disease, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) biosecurity officials last year proposed rules that would allow imports of consumer-ready cuts of uncooked pork from Canada, Europe, Mexico and the United States, but were advised by a review panel to look at 29 deficiencies, including their import risk assessment.
But today MAF said it had issued updates to those four import health standards for pig meat, pig meat products and by-products which would effectively manage the risk of introducing PRRS to New Zealand. It said imports of fresh uncooked pork would be restricted to cuts smaller than 3kg that had the lymph nodes removed.
"The risk of PRRS introduction through pork imports will be effectively managed," MAF's deputy director-general for standards Carol Barnao said. "The likelihood of the virus being introduced through the importation of uncooked pork would be equivalent to an average of one outbreak per 1227 years."
But New Zealand Pork said that pigmeat currently imported from countries with PRRS must undergo treatment to deactivate the disease, and eliminating the treatment would open the door for transmission of the disease.
"Pork producers are doing it tough at present," New Zealand Pork chief executive Sam McIvor said. Farmers were "extremely concerned about the risks from the proposed relaxing of biosecurity standards ". Farmers who were already making changes to meet tougher new pig welfare standards did not need to be undermined by the potential for new and exotic diseases "introduced as a result of short-sighted legislation".
[Source: 3news.co.nz]
Pig farmers in New Zealand are not happy with the government's plans to relax biosecurity around pork imports.
New Zealand Pork is concerned that waste from imported pig meat could end up in the food chain for New Zealand livestock, and potentially spread a disease, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) biosecurity officials last year proposed rules that would allow imports of consumer-ready cuts of uncooked pork from Canada, Europe, Mexico and the United States, but were advised by a review panel to look at 29 deficiencies, including their import risk assessment.
But today MAF said it had issued updates to those four import health standards for pig meat, pig meat products and by-products which would effectively manage the risk of introducing PRRS to New Zealand. It said imports of fresh uncooked pork would be restricted to cuts smaller than 3kg that had the lymph nodes removed.
"The risk of PRRS introduction through pork imports will be effectively managed," MAF's deputy director-general for standards Carol Barnao said. "The likelihood of the virus being introduced through the importation of uncooked pork would be equivalent to an average of one outbreak per 1227 years."
But New Zealand Pork said that pigmeat currently imported from countries with PRRS must undergo treatment to deactivate the disease, and eliminating the treatment would open the door for transmission of the disease.
"Pork producers are doing it tough at present," New Zealand Pork chief executive Sam McIvor said. Farmers were "extremely concerned about the risks from the proposed relaxing of biosecurity standards ". Farmers who were already making changes to meet tougher new pig welfare standards did not need to be undermined by the potential for new and exotic diseases "introduced as a result of short-sighted legislation".
[Source: 3news.co.nz]
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