Farm Business

Thousands of pigs have been unnecessarily culled because exporting to the EU has become too expensive and difficult since the end of the Brexit transition period, industry leaders have warned.

Thousands of pigs have been ‘unnecessarily culled’ because exporting to the EU has become too expensive and difficult since the end of the Brexit transition period, industry leaders have warned.

Live rings have continued to deliver in Scotland as the total value of livestock throughput rose to more than £556m in 2020, a 17.5 per cent increase.

Dairy farmers cannot expect any Government help to address the industry’s chronic labour shortages if they remain silent, Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) managing director Matt Knight has warned. 

Farm fires have left the industry with a bill of more than £69 million in 2020, a rise of 40 per cent, sparking calls for farmers to put new fire prevention and control plans in place.

Spiralling costs are another headache most farmers could simply do without. With some sectors facing a real squeeze on the availability of labour, this will add another layer of anxiety after a period of good prices.

Cuts to police budgets could leave forces unable to enforce the Government’s crackdown on livestock worrying, according to Labour’s Shadow Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner.

The suspension of the Government’s proposed changes to trailer tests for car drivers (B+E) is the ’worst of both worlds’ for farmers, leaving some unable to tow or obtain a licence. 

The Cold Chain Federation (CCF) has said it is not aware of a single member being contacted to participate in Defra’s pork private storage aid scheme, set up to help struggling pig farmers.

Tighter supplies and good demand have supported dairy markets across the world. Cedric Porter takes a look at whether farmers are seeing the benefit as input costs soar