Pig farmers are facing soaring feed costs as wheat values reach their highest since 1993.

Feed wheat prices have already exceeded £140/t in some parts of the UK.

Coupled with this, the disruption caused by the recent foot-and-mouth outbreak has meant producers face additional costs of keeping thousands of slaughter pigs back until restrictions are lifted.

Movement restrictions could cost the pig sector up to £500,000 a week in increased variable costs.

With producers having to dog deep to fend off sharply rising feed costs, many will be forced to consider closing units to avoid mounting financial losses unless pigmeat prices rise by a similar amount.

Read Farmers Weekly’s special report into the recent foot-and-mouth crisis