UNITED KINGDOM.
PIG INDUSTRY.
With the closure of pig processing plans all over England, there is no doubt that the pig industry is in big trouble yet again.
The pig trade has always been more of a boom or bust industry than cattle or sheep, the fact that the national herd numbers are now down to 400,000 sows from 800,000, speaks for itself, as farmers were producing pigs in the first 8 months of 2008 only to be rewarded with a 20 pound loss for every pig they produced.
While the new moves by television chef Jamie Oliver and the RSPCA are very well meaning, the damage is done and one wonders if in fact the government could have done more in the first instance.
A report published recently by the Rural Affairs Committee, forecasts a collapse of the industry, this in part is right, as the farmers who have managed to weather the storm so far will make a lot of money, however many farmers have already fallen by the wayside. These reports are more like a stewards inquiry after the race, rather than a good forecast when its needed, before the runners set off.