Pig backlog on farms reaches 85,000 amid labour shortages
The National Pig Association (NPA) has again urged the government to take immediate action to address the labour crisis crippling the food and farming sector.
According to the association, the chronic shortage of labour affecting meat processing plants is causing a growing backlog of pigs on farms. There are currently an estimated 85,000 extra pigs on farms across the UK, a number increasing by approximately 15,000 per week. NPA said “farmers are running out of space fast.”
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) reported that the first half of 2021 was the pig sector’s worst financial performance on record on the back of record costs of production. Producers lost £116 million over the first six months of this year.
Chief executive of NPA, Dr Zoe Davies said: “Without immediate Government intervention, more producers will be pushed over the edge. 22,000 sows have already been lost from the national herd this year, and this is just the start. Sadly, we are expecting a serious contraction of the UK pig industry as a result, largely of the smaller independent farmers who are most at risk.”
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