On-farm culling most probably for the UK swine sector
On-farm culling phenomenon is seen as a probable scenario for the British pig industry due to a labour crisis in the sector. The number of pigs sent in the market has dropped by 25% for some small units in the UK, according to data presented by the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA). The lack of workforce in the sector is threatening the industry and farmers and processors will feel the impact, warns BMPA.
BMPA along with "the entire food industry has been shouting and screaming at Government that there's a problem here," said Nick Allen , BMPA's head. "That problem is both short and long term. We have an immediate skills shortage for which we need an emergency Covid Recovery Visa to get butchers into the country quickly, but which the Home Office keep refusing to address", he added.
Longer-term, the industry has already been raising wages and improving the additional support and benefits offered to employees. It's also been trying to encourage British workers to consider the industry as a long-term career choice. This is a harder nut to crack and will take time to come to fruition which is why we need Government to lend a helping hand to get through the current crisis, believe BMPA's General Manager.
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