After a tie for eighth place, nine producers have been elected to the National Pig Association’s (NPA) Pig Industry Group (PIG).

The group, which will steer the NPA over the next three years, also has four allied industry representatives.

The producer PIG members are:

  •  Fred Allen – Nottinghamshire;
  •  Tom Allen – Oxfordshire;
  •  Joe Dewhirst – Yorkshire;
  • Ash Gilman – National;
  •  Robin Lawson – Suffolk;
  •  Rob Mutimer – Norfolk;
  •  Phil Stephenson – Yorkshire;
  •  John Stockings – Oxfordshire;
  •  Sam Ward – Lincolnshire.

The allied industry PIG members are:

  • Oliver Bown (marketing/processing) – Thames Valley Cambac;
  • Andy Hall (buildings/equipment) – AM Warkup;
  • Michelle Sprent (nutrition/feed) – Premier Nutrition;
  • Gemma Thwaites (health) – Garth Pig Practice.

The elections saw the PIG reduced in number from 17 to 13, with, for the first time, producers elected on the most votes received, rather than on a regional basis.

Allied members were elected on the basis of the most votes in four categories.

The new PIG’s first meeting will take place in March, when the group will elect the board and a new chair of NPA.

NPA chief executive Lizzie Wilson said: “We are delighted to welcome the new-look PIG, which includes an ideal mix of experienced members who have served the association well for a number of years and some fresh faces to deliver new perspectives.

“We also have a good mix of indoor and outdoor producers and different sizes of businesses, with pig production well covered geographically.”