The cost of a fry up set to soar after pig cull forces up price of bacon

Mass cull under way among farmers struggling feed their animals

M ajor supermarkets 'need to do much more to help'

Britain is facing a bacon and sausage shortage as pig farmers reduce the size of their herds due to the soaring price of feed.

A mass cull is under way among farmers who can no longer afford to feed their animals, according to the National Pig Association.

Droughts in North America and Russia have caused a global failure in the grain crop used for animal feed, pushing up the price.

Set to soar: The price of a fry up could increase as farmers cull pig stocks

The National Pig Association predicts Britain’s breeding stock will shrink by more than eight per cent by Christmas.



Chairman Richard Longthorp said: ‘There will be a shortage of pigs very soon and that will lead to spiralling prices.’

'British supermarkets know they have to raise the price they pay Britain’s pig farmers or risk empty spaces on their shelves next year,' he said.

'But competition is so fierce in the high street at present, each is waiting for the other to move first.'

In its Save Our Bacon campaign, NPA is calling on shoppers to make a point of selecting pork and bacon with the British independent Red Tractor logo, as it claims an increase in demand for British product now may help persuade supermarkets to act before it is 'too late'.

Culled: Pigs are being culled as farmers struggle to afford feed

Sainsbury’s has already increased the price it pays to a few of its pig farmer suppliers and NPA said it welcomed this gesture.



But it says the major supermarkets need to do much more, if they want to protect their customers from shortages and high prices next year.

British Pig Executive Mick Sloyan warned a private meeting of British and mainland Europe retailers at a Brussels summit that a fall of only 2 percent in slaughterings next year will cause prices to rise by 10 percent.









