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Scotland offers £2m to independent pig farmers but excludes those tied to abattoirs
The Scottish government introduced a £2m emergency package for independent pig farmers facing losses from low wholesale pork prices triggered by an African Swine Fever outbreak in Spain. The aid applies retrospectively from March through August and excludes producers linked to abattoir operators.
Jul 10, 9:30 AM·1m read1 source
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uk reported. Farming leaders estimate the Scottish pig industry is losing about £1m a month, and four producers have left the sector since the start of the year. The total number of sows in Scotland has fallen by about 15 percent over the same period.
The package lets qualifying independent farmers claim the difference between the price they receive and 85 percent of the Standard Pig Price, which has been around £1.75 per kg. Smaller producers have received as little as £1 per kg. The scheme will cover losses incurred since March and run until August.
Farmer Danny Skinner, who keeps around 450 sows at Duncanstone near Insch, Aberdeenshire, sells about 270 fat pigs each week and has been losing roughly £40 per animal, or £10,000 weekly. The support will cut that loss to about £25 per pig. Rural Affairs Secretary Gillian Martin said she would like to offer more money but faces a challenging financial context.
She wrote to the UK government calling for improved border biosecurity to prevent the disease from entering the country. NFU Scotland president Andrew Connon described the situation as totally unsustainable and the worst crisis pig farmers have faced in more than 50 years. Pig farming does not qualify for government subsidies, yet the supply chain supports about 2,200 jobs in Scotland.
