Only 40,000 of the UK's national pig herd are currently covered under the significant disease chart.

Run by AHDB on behalf of the Pig Health and Welfare Council, the charter was established in June 2015 with the aim of aiding tackling Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus (PEDv) if the disease should ever arrive in the UK.

“The aim of the charter is to share information quickly making the control and elimination of the disease easier and faster" stated AHDB veterinary manager Martin Smith.

“Allied to this is a series of standard operating procedures which have all been published on the AHDB Pork website. These tell people across the supply chain what their responsibilities are in the event of an outbreak and also define the lines of communication.”

In the United States alone PEDv has resulted in the death of 7 million piglets in just over two years and concerns are growing that the disease could travel to the UK after a number of outbreaks having been reported across Europe.

Coupled with the threat posed by African Swine Fever, there are serious concerns within the pig industry about how the government would cope in the face of a serious disease outbreak.

“While 40,000 sows is a good start for the charter" continued Mr Smith, "it still only represents 10per cent of the national herd. I would urge all producers to sign up as the charter is for their benefit.”