A pig veterinary technician is embarking on a prestigious international scholarship, sponsored by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, to help guide best practice for efficient pig production.
Nicola Bowers has been awarded a prestigious Nuffield Farming Scholarship to study how litters of piglets can be best managed in flexible farrowing systems to further support animal welfare.
Since 1980, farming charity the Yorkshire Agricultural Society has sponsored Nuffield Farming Scholarships which provide the opportunity to study and travel abroad, meet like-minded people and explore cutting edge developments in agriculture.
Allister Nixon, CEO of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society said: “Pig production is a significant part of Yorkshire’s diverse farming industry, particularly in East Yorkshire and so it is fantastic that Nicola has chosen the pig sector for the topic of her Nuffield study. The Society is proud to sponsor the Scholarships of individuals like Nicola who have the passion and knowledge to inform best practice in agriculture.”
East Yorkshire-based Nicola travels across the UK as a veterinary technician specialising in pigs, and as a farrowing consultant. Nicola first specialised in the sector by working for Garth Vets in Driffield. She has a Masters degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare and carried out research into free farrowing for Newcastle University at the start of her career.
Nicola said: “The pig industry has weathered countless challenges, yet it continues to adapt and evolve. Through my Nuffield Scholarship, I hope to contribute to that evolution, helping ease the transition into the future and ensuring the resilience and sustainability of the sector I’ve come to love.
“There is a move in the UK pig industry towards flexible farrowing, but there is no established transition period or formal guidance to follow. I want to understand what has worked around the world in the move towards these systems and what hasn’t, so that UK farmers are set up to succeed from the start.”
As part of her Scholarship studies, Nicola plans to visit commercial farms and research facilities where flexible and free farrowing have been adopted in the UK, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Italy, France and Spain. She hopes to visit New Zealand too, where the pig sector set a five-year target to fully transition to flexible farrowing by 2025.
Nicola’s Nuffield Farming Scholarship is also sponsored by AHDB (the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board). Her findings will be published in 2027.
Nuffield Farming Scholars are among the line-up of speakers at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s first-ever Yorkshire Farming Conference on Wednesday 28 January, including Helen Wyman of TwoCan, Tamara Hall of Molescroft Farm, Anna Jones of Just Farmers and mental health nurse Lucia Slack, whose 2024 Scholarship is also sponsored by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.
The Yorkshire Farming Conference is for everyone working in agriculture and takes place at the Great Yorkshire Events Centre in Harrogate. It is a chance to network with others in farming, hear from more than 30 industry speakers and visit a trade show featuring over 60 businesses and organisations.
Tickets for the Yorkshire Farming Conference are priced £25 + VAT and are available to purchase in advance only, online at yorkshirefarmingconference.co.uk or in-person, subject to availability, from Russells farm machinery outlets in Boroughbridge, Eggborough, Malton and Northallerton.
