Pig farmers can avail of a number of support services from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The welfare of all categories of pigs is protected by specific EU legislation (Directive 2008/120/EC) which lays down minimum standards that must be met when keeping pigs. The legislation is focussed on pigs that are kept in intensive systems and aims to:
• Increase the living space available for sows and gilts
• Set minimum requirements for light and maximum noise levels
• Ensure pigs have permanent access to fresh water
• Ensure pigs have permanent access to enrichment materials for rooting, foraging, and chewing
• Improve the quality of the flooring surfaces in pig pens
• Ensure management strategies to reduce the effects of stocking density and mixing on pigs are used on farms
• Reduce unnecessary suffering for sick and injured pigs through correct hospital management.
Further information on pig welfare is included below:
EU Legislation:
Pig Welfare Directive (Directive 2008/120/EC): CL2008L0120EN0010010.0001_cp 1..1 (europa.eu)
General Directive on Animal Welfare that is applicable to all farmed animals (Directive 1998/58/EC):
National Legislation:
Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013: Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 (irishstatutebook.ie)
Tail biting in pigs occurs due to boredom, frustration or stress caused by inadequate environmental conditions and management practices. Tail docking of piglets at an early age is used in commercial farming to reduce tail-biting. However routine tail docking is forbidden according to Council Directive 2008/120/EC, which requires operators to take measures to improve the environment for the pigs including for example reducing the stocking density. To deal with the issue of routine tail docking and help the pig sector comply with the Directive, the Commission has developed resources on enrichment materials and best practices, with videos showing examples of farms rearing pigs with intact tails. These can be found below:
Commission staff working document on best practices on the prevention of routine tail docking and provision of enrichment to pigs: SANTE/12169/2015-EN Rev. 2 (europa.eu)
Cutting the Need for Tail Docking: aw_practice_farm_pigs_tail-docking_eng.pdf (europa.eu)
EURCAW- Tail Biting risk factors and welfare indicators: Tail biting and tail docking (wur.nl)
To assist pig farmers to progress towards rearing pigs with intact tails, Animal Health Ireland in collaboration with Teagasc and DAFM, has developed a tool, delivered by trained veterinary practitioners, to conduct assessments for the presence of risk factors for tail biting on Irish pig farms. These assessments identify farm-specific risk factors and the farmer and his/her veterinary practitioner will identify up to three achievable measures to address identified risks, with the intention of controlling tail biting on farm, allowing progression to the point where batches of pigs can be reared with intact tails. In common with the biosecurity assessments, these free risk assessments are also funded and delivered through the TASAH mechanism. Further details can be found here:
Sample form used for completion of Tail Biting Risk Factor Assessment:
Sample Form used for Completion of Tail Biting Risk Factor Assessment
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Member States are required to submit an Action Plan to Improve controls on tail biting prevention and the avoidance of routine tail docking to the European Commission. See a copy of Ireland’s Action Plan:
FAWAC Codes of Practice on pig welfare:
European Commission:
European Reference Centre for Pig Welfare -EURCAW
Teagasc
Animal Health Ireland
EU Welnet – Pig Training
Welfare Quality Network
European Food Safety Authority
African swine fever (ASF) is a viral disease of pigs and wild boar that is usually fatal. The disease can result in devastating losses for pig farmers and the pig industry in affected countries. There is no cure or vaccine available for ASF and the disease is spreading across the world. Within the last two years the disease has spread to a number of previously unaffected countries in Europe and Asia, including China which has over half of the world’s total pig population.
National Pig Salmonella Control Programme Information Note for Producers
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Herdowner's Declaration that an on Farm Pig Salmonella Conrol Plan is in place
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Guidance Note for the Control of Salmonella for Pig Farmers
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National Pig Salmonella Control Programme - Information Note for Processors
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Approved Porcine Semen Collection Centres
Porcine semen collection centres are regulated under the European Communities (Trade in Porcine Semen-Animal Health) Regulations, 1993 (S.I. No. 242 of 1993). Trade in porcine semen can only be carried out in accordance with these Regulations.
Please note persons intending to apply for an approval for a semen collection centre are advised to contact the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at the outset so as to obtain full information on the approval process.
Breeding Pig Heard-Book and Register
Department approval for an organisation to maintain a herd-book or register is granted under the European Communities (Breeding Pig Herd-Book and Register) Regulations, 1994 (S.I. No. 151 of 1994).
Application Forms and further information on the above can be obtained from Livestock Breeding Section, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Farnham Street, Cavan. Tel: 049 4368293, Fax: 049 4361486.
Pig Carcase Grading
The EU system of grading pig carcases is implemented in Ireland by the Pig Carcase (Grading) Regulations, 1988 to 2001. All pig slaughter plants, where, on average over the course of a year, more than 200 pigs are killed per week, must grade pig carcases in accordance with their lean meat content. Grading must be carried out in accordance with one of the methods approved by the EU Commission for use in Ireland. Grade shall be indicated on the skin of the shank or ham by a number being the estimated lean meat content or the corresponding grade letter. The purpose of the grading system is to facilitate transparency in the area of pricing and to assist fair payment based on carcase quality. The operator of a slaughter plant must give to pig suppliers a statement showing, in respect of each pig, the carcase number, carcase weight, estimated percentage lean meat content and the total price paid.
Pig Salmonella Control Scheme
The purpose of this programme is to reduce any possible risk of public health problems arising from the consumption of pork and pigmeat products. A new programme commenced on 1 January 2010 which covers all aspects of the food chain. Under the revised programme, underpinned by the Diseases of Animals Act 1966 (Control of salmonella in swine) Order 2009, all pig producers supplying more than 200 pigs for slaughter in the previous 12 months must have an on- farm salmonella control plan in place and must establish a salmonella prevalence for their herd. Additional measures apply for breeding herds.
Food Waste Can Cause Foot and Mouth Disease and Other Exotic Diseases - for Trade
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Food Waste Can Cause Foot and Mouth Disease and Other Exotic Diseases - for Farmers
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Meat & Milk Policy Division
Address:
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Kildare Street, Dublin 2
Phone number:
1. Pig Roundtable Terms of Reference and Membership
2. Pig Roundtable Minutes
A National Antimicrobial Usage Database for pigs was introduced by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) on the 1st of November 2019. This database is designed to collect farm level data on the volume of antimicrobials (antibiotics) used on commercial Irish pig farms on a quarterly basis. Data is not required to be submitted regarding the volume of animal remedies used which are not antibiotics such as vaccines, coccidiostats such as Baycox, zinc oxide, wormers, hormones such as oxytocin or anti-inflammatories.
To establish a baseline for the level of antibiotic use in Irish pigs and document any future reductions in use DAFM are starting by collecting a years’ worth of data for 2019 and data will be required to be submitted on a quarterly basis thereafter.
Each year is broken down into four quarters of three month blocks i.e.,
Q1-January/February/March,
Q2-April/May/June,
Q3-July August/September,
Q4- October/November/December.
Since September 2021 it is a requirement under the Bord Bia Pig Quality Assurance Scheme that all pig producers submit their antibiotic usage data to DAFM on a quarterly basis.
Having such a database is important given that the use of antibiotics in farming is coming under increasing scrutiny, with more consumers asking questions about the amount of antibiotics being used in agriculture. Transparency is key to gaining consumer trust. This data is also necessary to compete globally and guarantee access of Irish agrifood exports to key world markets. Measuring antimicrobial use is a pivotal part of the national effort to reduce overall use and promote responsible use where necessary. Quantifying antimicrobial usage also allows us to measure the impact of the reduction strategies being implemented, demonstrate national trends, inform policy decisions, and enhance best practice.
How to Access AMU Pig Database
If you have yet to submit an antibiotic usage return for your pig herd the first thing you need to do is to check whether or not you are registered with DAFM online services through www.agfood.ie , in order to facilitate the submission of antibiotic usage returns for your pig herd.
If you are not already registered, you can register on www.agfood.ie by clicking the option to register. To register for this system, herd owners, in addition to personal data, will require their PPSN, email address, phone number, and date of birth. A PIN number will then issue by post.
For queries regarding registration, or to obtain a new password (where you have already signed up), you can contact us
Agfood Online Services Helpdesk
Address:
Government Offices, Farnham Street, Cavan, Co Cavan, H12 D459
Website:
Email:
Phone number:
Summary:
Agfood Online Services Helpdesk in the Department's Cavan office.
In the event that you are already registered with DAFM online services for example you may have submitted a TAMS application in the past or registered calves through AIM if you also keep cattle the same username and personal access code (PAC number) will get you access to the national antimicrobial usage database for pigs. If you have any issues or queries in relation to your data submission please contact amupig@agriculture.gov.ie or 01 5058620/087 6949396.
Guide to using www.agfood.ie
Guide to using National Antimicrobial Usage (AMU) Database for Pigs
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What will my antibiotic use data be used for and who will have access to it?
Any data submitted to DAFM is fully protected as personal data and will not be released to any third party without your consent. Only anonymised, aggregated data will be used to generate a figure for the level of antibiotics used in Irish pigs and be shared with stakeholders in the pig industry and other third parties. The only people with direct access to your personal data will be DAFM officials and yourself.
In line with GDPR legislation, individual herd details on submitted data will remain confidential between the herdowner and DAFM.
Why Measure Antibiotic Use?
• To protect consumer confidence in the quality and safety of Irish pork and bacon.
• To ensure competitiveness of Irish pig meat exports in global markets.
• To satisfy requirements of the new Bord Bia Quality Assurance Standard.
• To Satisfy EU legislation which will apply from January 2022.
• To decrease antibiotic usage in the pig sector - “we can’t improve what we can’t measure”.
• To increase profitability; antibiotics are a cost to farmers.
• To allow pig producers to benchmark themselves against others in the industry.
• To address Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
• To measure use of Critically Important Antibiotics (CIAs)
What is AMR?
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), specifically antibiotic resistance, where the antibiotics no longer work to treat disease, is a growing public health threat. AMR is estimated to be responsible for 33,000 deaths per year in the EU alone and 700,000 deaths per year globally. Without effective antimicrobial cover, routine surgical procedures and cancer chemotherapy become high risk and infections that were once deemed relatively minor have the potential to kill.
In animal health, antibiotics are vital ‘tools’ to protect animal health and welfare in both companion and food producing animals. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics accelerates the rate at which resistance develops. Ireland’s Second One Health National Action Plan on AMR 2021-2025 has recently been launched and is available here .