Abattoir labour shortages have led to backlog, meaning healthy pigs are killed without being sold for meat
The national pig herd has lost-one tenth of all sows over the last six months, farmers’ associations have revealed, after breeders were forced into a massive cull caused by a shortage of labour in abattoirs.
The National Farmers’ Union president, Minette Batters, and the National Pig Association chairman, Rob Mutimer, have written a joint letter to the environment, food and rural affairs secretary, George Eustice, calling for an urgent summit to address labour and supply-chain concerns.