COST savings of as much as 5p per kg deadweight could be achieved by improving herd health and performance in the British pig industry.

And that is exactly what the British Pig Health Scheme is aiming to do when it is launched nationally on July 4.

Nearly 1,000 packs have been sent out to producers who are members of the three assurance bodies covering more than 1,500 assured units.

The packs include a membership form which producers need to complete and return along with a schedule of all the participating abattoirs and veterinary assessment days for the scheme in 2005, together with a question and answer sheet about the scheme.

The scheme looks for a number of key health conditions in pig carcases in the abattoir and the information is rapidly passed back to the farmer and his vet.

The aim is to achieve an overall improvement in the health of the national herd which could save the industry as much as 5p per kg deadweight.

BPEX Strategy Co-ordinator Andrew Knowles said: "The British Pig Health Scheme is open to all producers whether they are members of assurance schemes or not.

"It is invaluable for all finishing producers wanting to improve their herd health status and performance.

"At just £33 a year, the scheme has the potential to provide members with a fantastic return on investment given the value of the information to their businesses.

The membership fee for the scheme is just £100. The low price has been made possible by grants and industry sponsorship.

If you would like to find out more about the scheme or are not a member of an assurance scheme but would like to sign up for the British Pig Health Scheme then call the administration centre at SAC on 01463 233184.

Grants and sponsorship have come from Defra, Boehringer Ingelheim, Elanco, Fort Dodge, Janssen Animal Health, Intervet and Pfizer.