[holding answer 4 March 2008]: DEFRA is very aware of the challenges currently facing the pig livestock sector and their efforts to maintain competitiveness. The leading concern of the industry is the increase in feed costs, which is a global phenomenon affecting producers across the EU.
UK producers have also been affected by last year’s animal disease outbreaks. DEFRA put together an aid package last October for all livestock sectors, which included £2 million to promote red meat, including pork.
Regulation in the pig and other livestock sectors is essential to protect public health, animal health and welfare, and the environment. Many UK regulations follow common EU standards and requirements and it has been a priority for the UK in negotiating these to ensure that controls are proportionate and avoid placing unnecessary burdens on producers and others.
One area in which we are ahead of the EU is our unilateral ban, agreed in 1991 for good welfare reasons, on close-confinement sow stalls and tethers from 1999. Tethers have now also been banned in the EU and the UK pressed for and succeeded in obtaining an EU ban on sow stalls, which will take effect from 2013 onwards and have a levelling effect. We have encouraged the pig industry to take advantage of high UK welfare standards to promote the attributes of UK pigmeat in the market place.