The UK Pig Industry Welfare Training platform has launched today, with the first module focusing on the moving and handling of pigs.
Everyone involved in the care, moving, and handling of pigs on farm needs to complete the training by 31 August 2022 as part of Red Tractor standards.
Upon successful completion of the training, a certificate will be issued that can be saved for Red Tractor audits and on PigPro, the industry’s online training record.
The moving and handling module takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete, though delegates will be able to pause and save their progress as they go along.
The course is the first module to be released on the platform, with further subjects likely to be released over future years.
Georgina McDowell, technical manager for pigs at Red Tractor said: “Having a professional workforce across UK farms underpins everything that we stand for.
"Ultimately this training is about reassuring consumers that Red Tractor pork has been farmed with care.
“We have long required producers to maintain training records, but this platform represents a step forward in terms of providing a unified and consistent standard of pig care across the industry.”
Rob Beckett, a pig producer from Yorkshire who has been involved in testing the training with his team, said the feedback received from farmers had all been positive.
"Every one of them has admitted that they have learnt something, including a couple who have more than 25 years’ experience in the industry.
"And they have all said that the software is straightforward to navigate and is laid out in a simple format.”
There will be a £10 fee per person per year to complete the training, which will fund the upkeep of the website and any revisions required to the course in the future.
However, the cost has been waived for the first 8,000 people who register or for the first six months (whichever is reached first) post-launch.
Zoe Davies, National Pig Association (NPA) chief executive, said the module was a critical part of demonstrating that high standards were being met by pig keepers.
"We know we have many competent stockpeople out there who know exactly what they are doing, and for them, it will be a way of reassuring their supply chain, customers and the public that pigs are being treated in the way they would expect.”
The online training was developed by AHDB, Red Tractor, the NPA, the Pig Veterinary Society, the Pig Health and Welfare Council, and pig producers.
