Uniporc Ouest's objective is to carry out and guarantee the weighing and the classification of pig-meat and animals slaughtering in the western and in the northen part of France.

Uniporc Ouest intervenes in many slaughterhouses and employs many specialised technicians and has its own measuring instruments.

Uniporc Ouest covers the transactions between the slaughterhouses and the pork breeders.

The association determines the weight and the lean meat content per carcass by using the necessary means.

Uniporc Ouest, with dynamic weighing machines which it has developed itself, specialises in weighing for large slaughterhouses. These weighing machines are approved by the Department of Weighing Instruments. This also applies to the instrument which mousers the lean meat content on each carcass. Uniporc Ouest invented this instrument and had it produced by a company based in Lorient in Britanny. Its precision and its technical qualities use the latest technology in optical precision.

The measuring apparatus CGM (Meagre grease captor) is standardised on a national as well as an EEC level.

The CGM have replaced the FOM (originating from Denmark) and is used over millions pigs for June 1993.

Uniporc Ouest is present, with its specialised technicians, in many slaughterhouse in the west and north of France. The number of technicians (11 to 1) present per site depend on the quantity of slaughtering.

All the pigs in slaughterhouses are controlled by Uniporc technicians (this is an obligation defined by the producers and the slaughterers). In every slaughterhouses, the pigs are selected by the technicians and identified by a Removal Form which has been previously completed by the breeder and wich is sent with the transport company (this form is also used for accounting purposes).

After the weighing of the carcass and the verification of the standard (obligatory) as well as a certain time limit before slaughter, the latter is measured in several points by the CGM. A prediction equation of the lean meat content gives the final résult. This is endorsed with the weight and sex of the animal which is entered into a specific computer programme. The comments made by the Veterinary services are also added.

During the slaughtering, a document concerning the weighing is published and is given to the slaughterhouse unless they have direct access to computer programme.

Simultaneously the entire information is sent to the head-quarters of Uniporc Ouest through a network.

After reception of this information, it is decoded and accessible by Minitel and internet to the breeders.

The breeders appreciate the rapidity by which the information is transmitted as they need it in order to determine the future handling of their breeding methods.

The day after the slaughtering, this information is sent by mail in the form of a weighing form.

The form contains indispensable information for the administration of breeding on the one hand, an on the other, necessary for the payment of the breeder. These elements are the weight, the measurements of fat and of muscle, and the lean meat content on cach carcass, the sanitary observations made by the veterinary services.

All these parameters, linked to a payment grid unique to the west of France, are connected to all systems and also appear on the weighing form, with the total price to pay as well as the profit made for cach batch. The profit is based on a regional grid. The breeders and the slaughterers therefore profit from a precise source of information and are sure to benefit from the same base of transaction, whichever the slaughterhouse.

Other information also figures on this document ; and allows the breeder to benefit from technical information and certain statistics which he can use to improve the qualitiy control.

Uniporc Ouest regularly provides the relevant organisations, slaughterhouses and administrative organisations with the necessary statistics for the administration of this branch of industry. This is an important programme organised by the Computer Department of Uniporc Ouest (example : 17 500 breeders receive, on a regular basis, analysed information concerning their deliveries in the form of diagrams).

Master in the field of its research programme, Uniporc Ouest collaborates with other competent research organisations (such as l'INRA – the technical pork research institute) and has a regular exchange programme with equivalent organisations in Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany.

Uniporc Ouest is occasionally called upon to carry out research regarding quality control, for example : whole male pigs, and the quality of the meat.

Uniporc Ouest is an association with its own board of directors. This board is composed of 36 members in total, each coming from three colleges, and each with 12 members.

• 1^st college the general organisations, (Chambers of Agriculture)
• 2^nd college breeders (elected breeders),
• 3^rd college slaughterhouses.

The financial resources of Uniporc Ouest come from a unique subscription fee paid by each breeder for each animal presented.

Unipor Ouest is the only professionnal organisation which guarantees integrity for weighing, classification and communication of information to the whole of the pork industry in the west and north of France. There is no such other organisation in Europe.

Uniporc Ouest has the advantage of centralising all oprerations under its responsibility and therefore strengthens the field if which it is an unavoidable element.

The employees are loyal to the organisation and have received internal training which permits them to control in an unbiased way the essential elements of the pork economy. The role of Uniporc Ouest is essential for the development of pork in the western and northen part of France. This is the unquestionable result of the care taken by the breeders in the quality of the breeding.

Uniporc Ouest with a long experience can :

• insure transfer of techonology,
• train technicians,
• advise in the research of quality process.

On the other hand, the complete control of the adapted industrial computer programmes to the needs of the breeders, have made Uniporc Ouest a European reference.