Pig Disease - the most important webpage

One of the most important webpages ever has been preserved in the British National Archives. You can read the header on the WWW page, here

It says:

This snapshot, taken on 24/08/2010, shows web content acquired for preservation by The National Archives. External links, forms and search may not work in archived websites and contact details are likely to be out of date. 

Clear evidence that in 2009 British pigs were very much less productive than those in the rest of Europe and why their pig industry could not compete. No industry can possibly survive such low productivity in an open market.

The most critical bit is this, look at the figures – well below the Dutch, and the Dutch who creditably don’t even pretend their sows are healthy.

There is no data on how the USA and Canada would come on an international table, but someone should be checking that out.

Pigs, especially in troubled Britain, have been hit by a series of new  illnesses and epidemics since 1999. It is impossible to make money out of such sick and under-producing pigs, however good the husbandry.

Some of these diseases have become antibiotic resistant, because of the excessive use of antibiotics, and are spreading to the human population.

Every effort has been made by Defra, Britain's infamous agricultural Ministry, to hide or underplay the health status of the pigs and the risks to human health, including that of the farmers, pig and pork workers, local residents and veterinarians. Even consumers are at risk.

This page also provides evidence that they did so knowingly.

There are no signs that the situation has got better since 2009.

BPEX is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, funded by a levy on pigs slaughtered in England.

Here are the figures from the above page:

Carcase weight (kg) per sow per year

Great Britain	1,608
Denmark	2,075
Netherlands	2,279
France	2,109
Germany	1,993
Ireland	1,789
EU Ave	2,000

Source: Pig Cost of Production in Selected Countries, 2009