Harper Adams and JSR Team Up For New Research

Posted 29 May 2007

Harper Adams University College, the leading provider of higher education for the land-based industries, is doubling the size of its pig unit with the intention of significantly strengthening its research capabilities.

“We are investing over £500,000” comments Principal, Professor Wynne Jones, “as we believe in the very real need of the pig industry for relevant and robust research to feed the requirement to continuously adapt to new pressures and market signals”

In choosing JSR Genepacker 90’s, Unit Manager, Richard Hooper intends to replicate high productivity units. “This is a major investment in facilities and stock and will allow us to replicate high output commercial units and ensure research projects continue to be relevant to today’s modern high performance pigs.” 

Recognised within the industry as delivering near market, applied research, the pig unit at Harper Adams will double in size from 120 sows to 240 with new dry sow and farrowing units being built in two phases.  The first phase is now almost complete.  Current research projects already reflect the needs of the industry. They include nitrogen retention and meat eating quality, feed additives for immune system enhancement and control of diffuse phosphate pollution control. These will soon be joined by additional projects as the new facilities come on stream.

Commenting on the co-operation, Tim Rymer, JSR’s Chairman said “We are delighted to be able to build upon our long relationship with Harper Adams.  At a time when research organizations and government have been pulling back from pig research this is a real boost for the industry.  To further our commitment to the future JSR are pleased to announce that we will be sponsoring a technician’s post at the University College, initially for a two year period”.

The University College has a highly skilled scientific team and combined with this investment, the close working relations with other scientific centres and stakeholders and the commitment from JSR will ensure pig research can deliver results which are meaningful to the commercial industry now and into the future. 

Dr Grant Walling, JSR’s R&D Director is excited for the unit and its ability to strengthen its commercially relevant research and points out that an added bonus will be the supply of valuable data on the performance of the Genepacker 90 on a commercial unit to add to the existing wealth of knowledge on purebred performance.