World Class Centre for pigs and poultry

The pig and poultry industries in the UK have joined forces to draw up a concept note for the creation of a world-class centre of excellence.

A stakeholder meeting to be held at Fera, near York on Friday 14 November will explain the concept further and seek support from across both industries.

Those at the meeting will hear from companies which are involved why they are involved and why other stakeholders ought to get involved.

The academic partners will describe new areas of research and how the capital investment in facilities contributes to re-creating global leadership in pig and poultry science.

The key for UK pig and poultry supply chains is how the new structure will radically change how we get research and ideas taken up quickly and broadly in practice.

An expression of interest has been drawn up and is to be submitted to stand a chance of getting part of the Government’s £90 million Agri-tech capital funding.

The full submission has to be ready by next June so there is now plenty of time for anybody interested to become involved in helping develop it.

Steering group chairman Stewart Houston said: “By necessity, the steering group has had to move quickly to meet the Government’s timescale to submit an expression of interest.

“It is important, however, to ensure that the Monogastric Centre of Excellence is inclusive and genuinely represents the interests and ambitions of the pig and poultry sectors and of all of those organisations and institutions that can contribute, in the broadest sense, to the development and success of the Centre.

“Following the meeting on 14 November, we’ll be able to refine and amend our initial concepts before finalising our detailed business plan which needs to be submitted to Government before the June 2015 deadline.”