Artificial Insemination

In order to safeguard the supply of semen from boars at the AI Centre in Northern Ireland the B.P.A. are to help with the costs of storage of the semen and control of supply to those who require this service.

The Breed Clubs have been asked to contribute £75 each to help spread some of the costs and we as a Club have agreed to this in order that the facility be preserved. The boars at stud are due to be changed this year at a considerable cost and our contribution does not cover any of these costs. Unless interim funding from other sources can be obtained it may not be possible to continue having fresh semen available from Traditional Breeds.

It is possible that at some future date there may be E.U. funding of genetic conservation but this, we understand, is at least 18 months away and in the meantime the service needs to be maintained. The B.P.A. will set up a Working Party to deal with the administration of the scheme and look for ways to maintain and improve it.

The Boar at the AI facility is a Smallicombe, Namatjira 6th, b.2002 herd book reference BK/1/TMM/783/02. He was bred by Ian and Maggie Todd of a Smallicombe Dam, Stonebow 20th. For more details, contact Robert Overend on 02879 386287 or by e-mail: info@deerpark-pigs.club24.co.uk. The website is at http://www.deerpark-pigs.com/ (link will open in a new window).