Hundreds of healthy pigs culled due to abattoir worker shortage

5 October 2021, 17:38 | Updated: 5 October 2021, 17:39

Hundreds of pigs have been culled on British farms
Hundreds of pigs have been culled on British farms. Picture: Alamy

By Patrick Grafton-Green

The culling of healthy pigs has begun on British farms, with at least 600 slaughtered due to a labour shortage in abattoirs.

Chief executive of the National Pig Association (NPA), Zoe Davies, warned many more could follow.

Farmers have said up to 120,000 pigs could be culled as the abattoir labour shortage has led to a backlog of animals ready for slaughter.

READ MORE: 'Don’t let Brexit obliterate us': Pig farmers protest at Tory conference amid cull warning

READ MORE: Butcher shortage could ruin Christmas as supplies of pigs in blankets at risk

The backlog means farms are struggling to find space for the extra pigs - leaving them with no choice but to cull them in the face of overcrowding concerns.

Ms Davies said at least 600 pigs have already been culled by "a handful of farms", with others "on the edge".

"There is a huge difference in terms of where farms are at", she said.

"Some farms are on the edge."

Ms Davies said the cull was "hugely difficult" for the pig farmers, and some have even resorted to hiring outside help instead of asking their staff to do it.

"Some are having to use knackermen as they just can't bear having to do it or ask their staff to do it", she said.

She said pig farmers were "angry, upset, all the range of emotions that you can possibly imagine".

She added: "There is no light at the end of the tunnel."

Consumers may have to go without 'decorated hams or pigs in blankets'

Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted at the weekend "the great hecatomb of pigs... has not yet taken place".

He also told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: "I hate to break it to you but I am afraid our food processing industry does involve the killing of a lot of animals. I think your viewers need to understand that."

When it was pointed out to him the whole problem was that they could not be sold for food and they would have to be disposed of on the farms, he accused the presenter of "trying to obfuscate".

Ms Davies said farmers care about how their livestock are used.

"Farmers care about the animals they have been rearing", she said.

"These animals were going to feed the nation. It should not be allowed to happen."

She called on the Government to increase the number of worker visas for abattoirs, and to lower the English language requirement.

"At the moment it's the same level as doctors or vets", she said.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

More than 2 million drivers are set to hit the road on Good Friday.

Easter Carmageddon: Over two million drivers to hit the road on Good Friday after Storm Nelson travel chaos

Michael Gove has slammed the water firm as a 'disgrace'.

Thames Water bosses branded a ‘disgrace’ as Michael Gove tells firm ‘not to punish consumers’ for its failings

South Africa Bus Crash

Girl, 8, the sole survivor as 45 die in bus crash off South Africa bridge

A spokesman has denied reports the sausage dog could be banned.

The wurst news is over: Germany denies claims of sausage dog ban

Israel Palestinians Britain Aid

UN top court orders Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza

Greece Confidence Vote

Greece’s government survives no-confidence motion called over rail disaster

A council has had to apologise following the incident.

Fury as parents offered version of school class photo without complex needs pupils

Conjoined twin who shot to fame with sister on The Oprah Winfrey Show marries army veteran in private ceremony

Conjoined twin who shot to fame with sister on The Oprah Winfrey Show marries army veteran in private ceremony

Israel Palestinians UN Security Council

Russia ‘abolishes’ monitoring of sanctions on North Korea with UN veto

Firefighters at the scene of a bus crash in Limpopo

Bus plunges from bridge in South Africa and erupts into flames, killing at least 45 and leaving child, 8, as lone survivor

Music-Green Day UN

Green Day to headline UN-backed global climate concert

Exclusive
Starmer has vowed to resurrect Boris Johnson's 'Levelling Up' policy

Failure to ‘level up’ Britain would be ‘catastrophic’, Wes Streeting admits, as Starmer vows to resurrect Johnson policy

Border Force staff will walk out from April 11

Hundreds of Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport to stage four-day strike

Stephen Bear was ordered to pay Ms Harrison £5,000.

Disgraced reality TV star Stephen Bear ordered to pay £27,000 over revenge porn conviction or face nine months in jail

Sam Bankman-Fried

FTX founder Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for crypto fraud

Exclusive
Covid no excuse for death of Finley Boden who was murdered by drug-addled parents, child protection chief says

Covid no excuse for death of Finley Boden who was murdered by drug-addled parents, child protection chief says