Pig sector - reducing greenhouse gas emissions: bringing home the bacon - report

Appendix 1: Summary of Suggested Policy Measures

Pig producers do not want a basic payment so discretionary policy measures are proposed that are intended to focus producers, the wider supply chain and supporting organisations on those actions that will further reduce carbon emissions. The costs are very rough estimates spread across 3-years:

Scottish Government support measures

Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme (SACGS)

Areas requiring support

• Start Up Grants for New Entrants - Rec'n link: 16
• Inclusion of pig handling and management equipment within SACGS. - Rec'n link: 9

Support req'd (financial/policy)

£2 million

Agricultural Transformation Programme

Areas requiring support

• Financial incentives to encourage better management and disposal of slurry & muck on farm e.g. slurry stores & covers, anaerobic digesters. Upgrades to buildings improving insulation, ventilation, health or welfare. - Rec'n link: 12

Support req'd (financial/policy)

£20 million

Co-operation and Collaboration across the supply chain

Areas requiring support

• Capital Investment into Scottish processing infrastructure required to safeguard the pig supply chain. (FPMC). - Rec'n link: 15

• Extend funding from current PO scheme to pig sector - Rec'n link: 14

Support req'd (financial/policy)

£10 million

Knowledge Transfer

Areas requiring support

• 3-year grant to deliver a monitor farm programme. - Rec'n link: 5
• Financial support to deliver an apprenticeship scheme - Rec'n link: 4
• Subsidised sector specific training opportunities - Rec'n link: 4

Support req'd (financial/policy)

£2 million

Integrated Farm Management Programme

Areas requiring support

• Funding to develop farm carbon auditing tools to deliver more accurate results for pig producers. - Rec'n link: 2
• Financial assistance to complete annual carbon audits. - Rec'n link: 20
• Acceleration of the SAOS CarbonPositive tool to establish individual farm carbon baseline and inventory. - Rec'n link: 19

Support req'd (financial/policy)

£500,000

Research and Development

Areas requiring support

• Financial support to research the effectiveness of alternative protein sources, and their effects on GHG emissions. - Rec'n link: 3
• Financial support to develop solutions to reduce, control prevent and eradicate disease. - Rec'n link: 10
• Financial support to R&D biotechnology solutions to breed disease resistance pigs. - Rec'n link: 11
• Funding to understand and make advancements on reducing GHG emissions on pig farms effectively. - Rec'n link: 17
• Funding to trial indoor and outdoor sensor technology - Rec'n link: 21

Support req'd (financial/policy)

£3 million (?)

Renewable Energy Incentives

Areas requiring support

• Enhanced incentives to support on-farm renewable initiatives such as anaerobic digestion, heat pumps, solar, etc. - Rec'n link: 6

Support req'd (financial/policy)

£5 million

Supportive Planning

Areas requiring support

• Supportive planning legislation which encourages on farm investment and few bureaucratic burdens. - Rec'n link: 18

Support req'd (financial/policy)

£0

Conditionality

Mandatory requirements to qualify for access to funding have been outlined for the Suckler Beef Climate Scheme. The elements that could be equally applied to pig producers are:

• Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs) and Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAECs)
• Carbon audit
• Health, Welfare & Biosecurity Plan
• Manure analysis
• Nutrient management plan
• Marketing plan or membership of marketing cooperative
• Membership of a farm assurance scheme
• Continual Professional Development for unit managers
• Biodiversity enhancements (outdoor units only)

The arable or grassland enterprise of the farm will pick up the biodiversity and soil management elements rather than linking it to the pig sheds.

Applications for capital grants should require an estimate of the savings in GHG emissions that the investment will yield and this can be used as scoring criteria in competitive schemes. Furthermore, supply chain investments need to demonstrate how they fit within the pig industry strategy laid out in "Provenance & Profit" so that the limited funds available are applied to greatest effect. It would be helpful if the capital investment schemes could be launched soon to tie in with the temporary new deduction rules on capital investment announced by the UK Government in the recent Budget.