Dutch cull lifts UK pork price

25 April 1997

Dutch cull lifts UK pork price

AID for the slaughter of another 1.38m Dutch pigs and piglets has been approved in Brussels in a bid to eradicate classical swine fever.

The compensation – which relates to 600,000 pigs and 780,000 piglets to be killed over the next six weeks – was approved by the EU last week.

The decision comes at a time when outbreaks of the disease are still occurring daily, according to EU officials. Over 800,000 head have already been killed.

A senior Meat and Livestock Commission economist said the slaughter scheme was already having an upward effect on EU and British pork prices.

On Monday, the spot market leapt over 10p/kg to nearly 95p/kg.