ONE-OFF funding secured under EU Exceptional Adjustment Aid is to be used to help pig producers in Northern Ireland participate in a worm control programme, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has announced.

The province's Pig Industry Competitiveness Scheme aims to improve the quality of local pig meat by covering the cost of in-feed medication for pig herds and the blanket treatment of sows. It will also cover the cost of medication acquired from the veterinary practitioner for the individual treatment of sows prior to farrowing.

To be eligible for the scheme, producers must:

• have a Category 1 or Category 2 DAERA Farm Business Identification Number;

• have a representative of the farm business attend a Farm Family Key Skills pig health training course on worm control, through the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise; and

• obtain written confirmation from their vet that, in their professional opinion, there are, or have been in the last six months, pig endoparasites present in the herd.

Funding will only apply to medication purchased after the producer has been accepted onto the scheme by DAERA. Further details about the scheme, including how producers can apply, will be available on the Department’s website from the start of next week, at: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/eu-exceptional-adjustment-aid

It is expected that the closing date for applications for the scheme will be May 31, 2017.