Outdoor pig-keepers grapple with difficult conditions

Saturated Britain welcomed in the New Year with many outdoor pig-keepers grappling with outstandingly difficult conditions.

Flooding has been most calamitous in the north and west of England, but nowhere has escaped gales and torrential downpours.

For outdoor pig-keepers, December brought more than its fair share of challenges, with gale-force winds testing arks and tents to — and in some cases beyond — their limits.

Life has been far from easy for those who work so hard to provide British consumers with the high-welfare pork they so clearly desire.

The Christmas and New Year period is never easy on any livestock farm, as staff deserve at least some extra time with their families.

But on outdoor pig units, the combination of short days and challenging weather means there is always a shed-load of work to do and not enough time to do it in.

"The concept of a sensible work-life balance has seemed like a distant dream in recent days," commented one outdoor producer this morning, as he returned from a dispiriting inspection of his water-logged paddocks.

This is why, as we enter 2016 and the days gradually start to lengthen, NPA will be straining every sinew to ensure all the hard work and dedication involved in producing British pork and bacon is fairly rewarded by those further down the chain, whose festive period has been less demanding.