UK: Pig centre of excellence grant bid submitted

The first vital step has been taken in setting up a pig and poultry centre of excellence in the UK. An expression of interest has been submitted as part of the plan to apply for some of the £70 million Government Agri-tech grants.

The next step is an open meeting, being held in York to which all are invited. The main aim of the meeting is to get stakeholder input into refining the next steps and making a full application which has to be submitted by next June.

The meeting will include the opportunities on offer together with an explanation of what the centre of excellence can be from both the pig and poultry perspectives.

There will then be a series of break-out sessions looking at refining what needs to be included in the submission, what are the stakeholder needs and how they can be addressed, what are the needs of the industry and is the proposed structure the best way forward.

Sam Hoste of Quantech Solutions is one of the driving forces behind the plan. He said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for both the pig and poultry industries.”

“A centre of excellence can help the industries stay one step ahead of their major competitors and bring far-reaching benefits for all.”

The meeting is at Fera, York, on Friday 14 November from 10:30am to 4:00pm.