Tim Sawyer, Young Animal Feed Manager

Department: Pig, Poultry, Leisure – Young Animal Feed

My role in the UK Pig Team

I first experienced the impact of our zinc-free nutrition in the Netherlands. Belgium also went completely zinc-free utilising the insight the team were sharing. In the UK Pig team, we have been responsible for building on this knowledge to bring zinc-free diets to the UK. Our team have been working closely with UK producers to set-up trials at UK commercial units alongside a trial headed up by our technical team at Harper Adams.

It's been a great team effort across departments including procurement, technical, marketing and account managers.

My involvement in VITAL

We have learnt that a tailored approach to each farm is crucial when navigating the journey to zinc-free. I’ve been working with customers to evaluate not just one element of the feed programme, but the whole offering and then tailoring our approach to their goals.

A typical day

As we move closer to the zinc ban in June 2024, customers have been proactively asking about going zinc-free. We’ve had a lot of success with UK trials of VITAL and the customers who have taken part want to continue, which is great to see.

VITAL response

The overall response has been very positive to VITAL and it’s rewarding to see great results for producers.

Advising customers

It’s been exciting to talk about a new product with proven results. I’m enjoying working with customers to help them find the right solution for their unique needs with the knowledge that VITAL will make a significant difference.

To relax

I have a VW camper and love driving off on an adventure with my wife and 2 dogs Most recently we did a 2-week trip of the North Coast 500 route around Scotland, quite a trek from the Southwest, but we had a great time!