January 19, 2009

DEFRA must intervene and help the pig industry to reduce its costs and increase its productivity to ensure that it has a viable long-term future, said EFRA chairman Michael Jack.

EFRA committee stated in a report that the industry did not receive its fair share of the retail price when the production costs and investment needs of pig farming were taken into account.

The committee added that although the UK pig industry is highly competitive and is well known for being cyclical, the past 10 years have seen a steady decline in its scale and productivity and there has also been an increase in pork imported into the UK to satisfy consumer demand.

According to the report, UK pigs cost more to produce than their EU counterparts due to the effects of disease outbreaks, high feed prices, burdensome environmental regulations and the high cost of welfare standards for pigs introduced in 1999.