§ Sir A. Bossomasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will arrange for vaccinated pigs to be separated from other pigs at all markets, as is already done in some markets.
Mr. AmoryMy Department is encouraging auctioneers to provide special sections in markets for pigs from registered vaccinated herds where the number of such pigs coming forward is sufficient to justify this arrangement. I do not think I can make this a general requirement, if only because of the difficulty of identifying vaccinated pigs.
§ Sir A. Bossomasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will arrange for a monthly census for pigs, to check any undue fall in the breeding population.
Mr. AmoryMy Department has been conducting experimental sample enquiries into pig numbers since November of last year, in order to obtain up-to-date information every month on trends in the breeding population. These small monthly samples are carried out by means of personal visits, by local officers of my Department, to about 1,600 farms selected at random, on each occasion. It takes some time to develop a reliable sampling technique, and I cannot yet72W say that we have solved all the problems involved.
§ Sir A. Bossomasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give consideration to including specialist pig husbandry officers in the Agricultural Advisory Service.
Mr. AmoryI am satisfied that advice on pig husbandry matters is provided by suitably qualified officers of the N.A.A.S. and I do not consider that I would be justified in appointing specialist officers solely for that purpose.