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British pig farmers march on Westminster
From across the UK they came - to highlight the crisis
threatening the pig industry.
A rally was organised on Tuesday (4 March) by the National Pig Association,
involving about 400 producers and the main farming organisations representing
farmers across the country.
Producers
are apparently losing an average £26 (€32) per pig as a result of spiralling
feed costs and the major retailers' failure to pass back to producers the
increase in retail price.
Chairman of the National Pig Association, Stewart Houston, used the occasion
to present a petition of 14,000 names to Number 10 Downing Street while MPs who
attended the protest were urged to write to the supermarket bosses expressing
concern about the future of the industry.
Houston commented that the government needed to investigate the supply chain
to ensure that it worked to ensure fairness for all throughout the chain.
"It seems incongruous to me that we have to produce pigs below the cost of
production. The retailers are all aware of the situation, but each one
finds it difficult to put its prices up individually because of the competition
difficulties it presents for them. What they need to unite behind a rise
in pig prices very, very quickly."
A video podcast of the rally featuring interviews with producers and leading
figures from the industry will be produced by Farmers Weekly. The podcast
will be available today on their site.
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Editor PigProgress
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