NPA optimistic visas will be granted to foreign butchers

The National Pig Association (NPA) has said there is growing optimism the government will allow more butchers to come to Britain on temporary visas to help ease the backlog of pigs on farm.

Crowded farms have received as little as 70p/kg for “distress loads” of overweight pigs as the sector deals with a shortfall of 12,000 butchers and humane culling starts.

A backlog of between 120,000 and 150,000 pigs should have been removed for slaughter, the NPA estimates.

See also: Overweight pigs fetch 70p/kg as humane culling starts

The government is reportedly set to agree a temporary visa scheme for foreign butchers, and NPA chief executive Zoe Davies said she believed the final hurdle was the level of English language required.

“I am quietly optimistic. I honestly believe that the message has finally got through to the people that need to hear it,” she told BBC’s Farming Today.

“As part of that, we have asked the government to lower the level of English required.

“That is the final blocker now – it is not wages because they are over £25,000 threshold. It is coming down now to the English level requirement and the bureaucracy of the process in terms of applying for these visas.”

Pork levy holiday

A one-month pork levy holiday has been confirmed by the AHDB and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) in response to the growing backlog of pigs on farm, falling prices and high production costs.

The decision will save producers an estimated £1m in levy outgoings during November and has been agreed by ministers in both England and Scotland.

The intervention follows discussions between the two meat levy bodies, government and industry groups to identify ways to help pig producers during the crisis.

Mike Sheldon, chair of AHDB Pork, said: “These challenges, in particular a shortage of skilled workers, come on top of pressure on margins largely due to rising feed costs.

“AHDB is already undertaking work to help the sector, including providing independent evidence to government setting out the seriousness of the situation, and looking at how, together, we can support meat processors to ease the supply of labour.”

QMS chairwoman Kate Rowell stressed the importance of supporting pig producers.

“The pig sector plays an important role in Scotland’s agricultural industry and this relief will help producers as they work tirelessly to look after the animals in their care,” she said.