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Action urged to save pig farmers Task force plan for pig farmers
(about 8 hours later)
Scotland's pig farmers are going to Holyrood to demand action to save their industry. Scottish ministers are drawing up a rescue plan to help the country's pig industry, after fears business has been in sharp decline.
Producers claim it is in sharp decline because of rising feed costs and lower quality imported pork. Pig farmers told MSPs that rising feed costs and lower quality imported pork was hitting the industry.
They also complain they have not been compensated for the £5m cost of dealing with the foot-and-mouth outbreak. And they complained not to have been compensated for the £5m cost of dealing with the foot-and-mouth outbreak.
The Scottish Government said it was tied by EU regulations but the farmers and opposition parties claim there are ways around these. Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said a task force would work with pig farmers to bring in support measures.
The price producers get for their pigs rose 8% in the past year while the cost of grain went up 78%. But he warned the Scottish Parliament's rural affairs committee the group would have to observe European state aid rules.
The industry in Scotland has been in decline for the past 10 years because of cheap imports of pig meat. MSPs on the committee heard that while the price producers got for their pigs went up by 8% in the past year, the cost of grain rose 78%.
Farmers have said much of the foreign-produced meat does not meet UK welfare standards. Farmers also claimed the industry - which supports 2,500 jobs - has been in decline for the past 10 years because cheap imports of foreign-produced meat, which they said did not meet UK welfare standards.
They will meet MSPs on the rural affairs committee to tell them that the Scottish Government should be stepping up welfare checks, leaning on the supermarkets and compensating producers for foot-and-mouth costs. Mr Lochhead said the task force would look at new ideas to tackle the problems, including subsidies for farmers restructuring their business, grants for installing new slurry facilities, and an audit of imported pork to ensure it comes up to scratch.
Pig farming in Scotland supports 2,500 jobs.