By James Davey
LONDON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Britain's farming industry has
warned that hundreds of thousands of pigs may have to be culled
within weeks unless the government issues visas to allow more
butchers into the country.
An acute shortage of butchers and slaughterers in the meat
processing industry has been exacerbated by COVID-19 and
Britain's post-Brexit immigration policy, which has restricted
the flow of east European workers.
The government on Sunday announced a plan to issue temporary
visas for 5,000 foreign truck drivers and 5,500 poultry workers
to alleviate shortages but has given no indication it will
introduce schemes for other areas. It argues businesses should
invest in their workforce and improve pay and conditions.
Lizzie Wilson, policy services officer at the National Pig
Association (NPA), said the shortage of butchers meant
processors were operating at 25% reduced capacity.
As a result mature pigs ready for processing are backing-up
on farms, causing welfare issues.
"There's about 120,000 pigs sat on farm currently that
should have already been slaughtered, butchered, be within the
food chain and eaten by now," said Wilson.
"It is getting to the point where we are saying to
government if we don't get some help soon we're going to have to
look at culling pigs on farm, because that's our only option
now," she said, adding "there are some producers that have
already had the conversation."
Britain's biggest pork processors are Cranswick,
Morrisons, Pilgrim's Pride and Karro Food Group.
Wilson said consumers were already seeing the impact of the
crisis on supermarket shelves as processors had rationalised
pork product ranges.
Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers Union,
said a cull of up to 150,000 pigs was "potentially a week, ten
days away".
"I do not feel anybody can preside over a welfare cull of
healthy livestock. I don't believe it has happened in the world
before and it cannot happen now," she told the BBC.
Batters said she wants an urgent meeting with interior
minister Priti Patel and immigration minister Kevin Foster.
She said she has been trying to get a meeting with Patel for
two years.
David Lindars, technical operations director at the British
Meat Processors Association, said a cull "was getting very
close."
"I don't understand this government any more. It has to get
to white shelves in the supermarket scenario before they believe
it," he said.
A spokesperson for the government said it was aware of the
challenges that the pig industry has faced in recent months.
"We are keeping the market under close review and continuing
to work closely with the sector to explore options to address
the pressures the industry is currently facing," the
spokesperson said.
(Reporting by James Davey)
