Sector confidence sees pig herd grow

The national herd has been calculated as being 4,601,000 – an increase of 1.1 per cent on 12 months ago, with breeding pig numbers up by 3.2 per cent and gilts up by nearly 8.1 per cent.

The figures were calculated for December and the National Pig Association said that all indications were that the herd was still expanding when the census was taken.

The organisation said in a statement on its website that the growth has taken place entirely in the English herd and there is "an air of confidence and a keenness to invest, that hasn't been seen for over ten years". The news comes after a very difficult period for the UK's pig farmers who have battled against the effects of inaccurate food labelling and cheap foreign imports.

Stewart Houston, chairman of the NPA, told the Yorkshire Post: "We have had quite a change of late. We are seeing a little bit more reasonable profitability. This has come on the back of increased productivity and increased efficiency in the last couple of years and has been aided by the fact that Sterling is weaker against the Euro – making imports that bit dearer.

"An improved pig price and better production has led people to invest these profits into better buildings and accommodation and in better breeding stock."

Mr Houston paid tribute to the hard work and indefatigability of the nation's pig farmers for successfully weathering recent storms and tackling these recent improvements with gusto.

"There is a lot more confidence," he said. "I think it is a real tribute to the resilience of the producers regarding how they have thrived on recent profits.

"It means we will have better production and that we can compete with European markets. Obviously we do not know how long Sterling is going to lag behind the Euro but the longer it sits there in that position the better chance we have of retaining profitability.

"Progress on labelling has been good and we have had support from Morrisons, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer who have all gone 100 per cent with their pork."

The UK's fight for better labelling practices was handed a major boost this week after Members of the European Parliament demanded a crackdown on misleading practices claiming foreign-reared meat is "British".

The European Parliament's public health committee voted for tighter rules obliging manufacturers to state clearly where the animals used in meat products were raised.

Rules for processing food in the UK currently allow companies to label meat as British, even though it could have come from an animal that was reared and slaughtered abroad.

The system means that processed foods, such as sausages, and pre-prepared meals such as pre-packed sandwiches, can be labelled as British even if they don't contain British meat.