SCOTTISH PIG FARMERS WELCOME £2M AID BUT SAY IT FALLS SHORT

Independent pig farmers in Scotland have welcomed a £2m emergency support package from the Scottish government but stated the funding does not adequately address their losses. An outbreak of African Swine Fever in Spain has halted pork exports to countries including China, creating an oversupply across Europe and driving down wholesale prices significantly. Farming leaders estimate the Scottish industry is losing approximately £1m each month, with some producers already exiting the sector.

Danny Skinner, who operates a farm near Insch in Aberdeenshire with around 450 sows, sells approximately 270 pigs weekly and reported losses of £40 per animal, totalling roughly £10,000 weekly. The support package will reduce his per-animal loss to about £25. The scheme allows qualifying farmers to claim the difference between their sale price and 85 per cent of the Standard Pig Price, which is calculated weekly and has been sitting at around £1.75 per kilogramme, though smaller producers reported receiving as little as £1 per kilogramme.

Rural Affairs Secretary Gillian Martin stated she would prefer to offer more funding but faced a "challenging financial context". The Scottish government reported that the total number of sows has reduced by approximately 15 per cent since the start of the year and four producers have left the sector. Martin wrote to the UK government requesting additional urgent action, including improved border biosecurity measures to prevent African Swine Fever entering the country.