Yorkshire farmers set for meeting with ministers over pig industry crisis

It is being described as the biggest crisis the pig farming industry has ever faced. 

Thousands of healthy animals on farms in East Yorkshire and right across the country at risk of being culled because of a shortage of skilled butchers.

The industry is blaming a perfect storm of the pandemic and Brexit. It has left many farmers, like sisters Vicky Moore and Kate Scott in Driffield, desperate. 

They say the idea of having to slaughter healthy animals for no reason is "criminal" and have told ITV News they would consider leaving the profession if it came to that.

Kate said: "We never ever thought we'd have pigs backing up on the farm and having to face the idea of having to cull healthy animals. It’s criminal."  

The East Riding is one of the largest pig farming areas in the UK.

In October the government stepped in to try to increase staffing levels by offering seasonal workers visas to EU butchers - allowing them to stay in the UK for up to six months. 

They were hoping for 800 butchers, but that figure hasn't been reached and a package of support measures was put in place in October.

Minsters have now agreed to an emergency meeting this week, which will bring together industry leaders to discuss ways of alleviating pressures. 

Charlie Dewhirst, from the National Pig Association, said: "Obviously for some farmers it has reached a crisis point and farmers have been culling healthy animals and that has to end.

"The meeting this week is an opportunity to start to reverse that problem and we hope that everyone comes together from the supermarkets downwards."