Concerns for the pig industry

Pig farmers are not only facing hugely increased feed costs for their animals, but are also struggling as supplies fall dangerously low, according to NFU Scotland.

World grain shortages have pushed prices upwards. As a result of this, feed prices have risen for all livestock producers, especially affecting pig and poultry producers.

And for soya, a protein feed, the problem has now become physical availability. There is a need for more genetically modified (GM) varieties of soya to be authorised for use within the EU to ensure that supplies are more readily available.

Robin Traquair, NFU Scotland's pigs working group chairman, commented on his struggle to source soya for his pigs: "I feed my pigs on soya as part of their diet and at the moment I am really struggling to find it as supplies have fallen to such a low level. Last week I eventually managed to source some but it cost me an extra £150 per tonne and I;ve already been told that supplies for April and May will be extremely tight."

Traquair went on to explain his fears: "That Scottish pig producers will have to reduce pig numbers due to lack of feed. We need the EU to move at a faster pace to authorise new GM varieties for feed use."

He added: "We need an increase in farmgate price to compensate for our increased costs if we are to survive. My fellow pig producers are going out of business left, right and centre and if this avalanche continues then sadly shoppers will struggle to find British pork and bacon on the shelves."

Weblink:

www.nfus.org.uk  

Words: Maria Bracken

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