Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Sep 06, 2025

'Destruction of UK pig sector' looms unless Tesco pulls its weight, chain is warned

'Destruction of UK pig sector' looms unless Tesco pulls its weight, chain is warned

The chairman of the National Pig Association (NPA) claims Tesco, which has 27% of the UK market, is not paying enough for its pork supplies and that rivals have stepped up to help producers facing unprecedented losses due to soaring costs.

Tesco, the UK's largest supermarket chain, has been warned it must do more to help struggling pork producers or risk "the destruction of the UK pig sector".

The chairman of the National Pig Association (NPA) Rob Mutimer used an open letter to Tesco boss Ken Murphy to argue that the company was uniquely positioned, because of its scale, to prevent the demise of its UK pork supply base.

He claimed that Tesco, which has 27% of the UK market, was not paying enough for its pork supplies and that rivals had stepped up to help producers facing unprecedented losses due to soaring costs.

These were due, he said, to record pig feed prices as wheat costs surge amid the war in Ukraine.

It marked the latest crisis to hit the pork sector.

Sky News revealed in November last year, in the run up to Christmas, that vets were carrying out abortions on pigs as the supply chain struggled to recruit specialist abattoir workers and backlogs built up.

Mr Mutimer noted that it currently costs 203p to 216p per kg to produce a pig, but average pig prices remain below 170 pence a kg.

He said that meant many producers were losing tens of thousands of pounds each week though Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, the Co-op, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose were pulling their weight.

While the grocery sector has pledged to keep costs as low as possible for shoppers due to the wider cost of living crisis facing families, the NPA argued the future of the industry was at stake.

"Unless action is taken now and a fair price is paid, there will not be a domestic pig industry left to service the demands of your shoppers," Mr Mutimer told Mr Murphy.

Tesco, which reported annual profits above £2bn last month, warned at that time that it faced a battle to "keep the cost of the weekly shop in check".

The chain said in response to the open letter that it recognised the seriousness of the situation UK pig farmers were facing.

A spokesperson said: "Through the buying models we already have in place, our suppliers have increased payments to farmers by £3.4m since March 2022.

"However we would like to do more and are actively working with our suppliers on a further enhanced payment plan to support farmers in the short term."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Brand-New $1 Million Yacht Sinks Just Fifteen Minutes After Maiden Launch in Turkey
Here’s What the FBI Seized in John Bolton Raid — and the Legal Risks He Faces
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
×