Pig sector warns EU reset could weaken UK biosecurity defences

Fresh warnings over illegal meat imports have intensified pressure on the government to avoid weakening UK border controls in any post-Brexit reset with the EU.

The National Pig Association (NPA) said more than 14 tonnes of illegal meat seized at Dover in March alone underlines the scale of the biosecurity threat, as it urged ministers to ensure a new UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement does not make the situation worse.

Figures show the problem is escalating. More than 422 tonnes of illegal meat have been confiscated at Dover since September 2022, with volumes rising sharply in recent months.

Defra has pledged a crackdown, saying it will develop an “action plan” to tackle the issue. However, concerns remain across the industry that enforcement is still not keeping pace with the scale of the threat.

Responding to a government call for evidence, the NPA described the potential impact on border security as its “most significant area of concern”, pointing to ongoing failures to prevent banned products entering the country.

It said Brexit had been seen as a chance to strengthen protections against major livestock diseases, including foot and mouth and African swine fever.

However, that ambition has yet to materialise. The association highlighted the “continued influx of banned products of animal origin (POAO) entering the country illegally”, warning that a new SPS deal “risks unpicking this further and resulting in the UK having even weaker border security measures”.

The consequences of failure are severe. The 2001 foot and mouth outbreak cost an estimated £14.7bn in today’s prices, while any future outbreak of African swine fever or foot and mouth could trigger an immediate export ban on UK pork worth around £600m.

The NPA is calling on government to prioritise enforcement, urging greater investment in tackling organised smuggling networks rather than relying heavily on EU systems and data-sharing.

While the association backed efforts to improve trade with the EU — the UK’s largest pigmeat market — it stressed that economic gains must not come at the expense of biosecurity.

“The primary advantage will be helping facilitate greater volumes of trade,” it said, noting that an agreement could reopen exports of live breeding animals and currently restricted products such as sausages and minced meat, while cutting costs for exporters and importers.

However, it warned that “we continue to have a number of concerns with relation to the deal”, maintaining that risks around border controls remain unresolved.

The NPA also raised concerns about a lack of awareness across the sector, suggesting many producers do not yet grasp the scale or implications of the proposed changes.

“We feel that many producers do not appreciate the difference between this agreement and other trade agreements,” it said, adding that some mistakenly believe it will only affect businesses directly trading with Europe.

It is now calling for clearer communication from government, including more direct engagement with farmers to ensure they understand how the agreement could impact their businesses.

The warning is clear: without stronger enforcement and clearer direction, the UK risks leaving its borders exposed at a time of growing global disease threats.