Defra minister rejects call for targeted pig support

Defra farming minister Stephen Morgan has rejected calls for targeted support for beleaguered pig producers, insisting current market difficulties do not warrant any government intervention.

The case was made by Gordon and Buchan MP Harriet Cross in a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday evening (14 July).

She cited instances where some pig producers are losing as much as £50 on every pig they sell.

See also: Falling pig prices leave producers struggling to break even

“Oversupply, stagnant demand and falling European prices have pressured UK pig prices, while producers continue to battle soaring costs,” she said.

“The backlog of pigs at the start of 2026 continues to devastate the industry, with the Standard Pig Price plunging by 15% since August 2025.”

Scottish pig farmers were especially vulnerable, she added, with just one single processor in Brechin and distances too large to transport pigs for processing south of the border.

“Just since January, Scotland has lost 15% of its pig herds and the average price per kilo has fallen by more than 20%.

“The pig sector in Scotland is down £5.7m since January this year, with continued losses almost guaranteed if prices remain suppressed.”

Ms Cross also pointed to the £2m support package offered by the Scottish government last week and urged the Westminster government to do more for the whole industry.

Market shocks

Responding, Mr Morgan said that even though emergency powers to intervene were contained in the Agriculture Act 2020, “the threshold for intervention in England is not currently met”.

He acknowledged that these powers had been used during the last pig crisis in 2021, when a combination of reduced processing capacity, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, interruptions to CO2 supply and a shortage of skilled butchers led to a substantial backlog of pigs on farm.

“We recognise the challenges facing the sector today, but our assessment is that the circumstances are materially different from those seen in 2021,” he said.

The backlog of pigs on farms earlier in the year had been a temporary situation, he suggested.

And while Defra was aware of some processors serving notice on producers or reducing contract volumes, “our understanding is that these notices are being issued in line with contractual provisions”.

Notice periods

The National Pig Association (NPA) estimates that the equivalent to 12,000-14,000 pigs a week have been served notice.

It is concerned that, by November, up to 15,000 pigs a week could be on the market and struggling to find a buyer once notice periods have passed.

Potential animal welfare concerns have been raised as a result, with it looking increasingly likely that pigs may have to be culled on farm.

Meat processor Woodheads, which is owned by Morrisons, gave notice to a significant number of pig producers in May.

It cited a “challenging economic climate” and has now announced pigs will no longer be slaughtered at its Spalding abattoir, in Lincolnshire.

Meanwhile, major pork processor Sofina Foods, which purchased Karro in 2021, has confirmed to Farmers Weekly it is looking at targeted reductions in its own farm operations in Scotland, including the closure of some of its Brydock breeding farms.

Meeting

Defra farming minister Stephen Morgan is set to meet with NPA representatives on Wednesday (15 July) to discuss the state of the pig sector.

NPA chief executive Lizzie Wilson said: “We are pleased this meeting has been brought forward in a clear recognition of the extremely precarious position the UK pig sector finds itself in – and the need to find urgent solutions.

“The Scottish government has acted quickly and worked with the industry to provide support for its pig farmers.

“We will use our meeting with the minister to press for a support package from Defra to ease the immense pressure on pig producers in England.”

Meanwhile, the agricultural supply chain adjudicator, Richard Thompson, has launched a survey for the pig sector to better understand current challenges.