100,000 pigs to be destroyed

Pigken

Member
Location
Co. Durham
Not sure of some of herd numbers been thrown about but can think of few firms with 20000 plus sows, lot of 1000 sow herds but also lot with 150 to 500 sow herds. Although it certainly is changing. Not sure massive b and b rents are been thrown about but is certainly one large firm that support a lot of local businesses, be it she'd manufacture, local ag supplies, several mechanics welders etc, contractors, to name but a few.
 

Hilly

Member
are you one of the favoured customers get your stock there at 9 00 sold at 11 i get mine there at 6 30 sold at 12.30 and then theres the wrong price , wrong weight + the ring around the ring!
are you one of the favoured customers get your stock there at 9 00 sold at 11 i get mine there at 6 30 sold at 12.30 and then theres the wrong price , wrong weight + the ring around the ring!
Absolutely not quite often last with lambs , im one of them with a fuking brain that can see the way the job is heading , pigs ……. Hello
 

Bill the Bass

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cumbria
The rot set in in the mid 90’s when Max Hilliard ran Malton Bacon Factory, the slaughter job went into too few hands. Malton also ‘pioneered’ farm assurance with the Malton code which was one of the fore runners of the red tractor. The whole job was made worse by the f**k wit Tory politician Richard Body who put forward a private members bill to competitively disadvantage UK pig farms against the rest of Europe when the pig cycle was at is trough.

People blaming other large farmers for this mess are very wrong. It was and is the greed of blue chip companies including the retailers and inept Tory politicians. The only thing pig farmers did wrong in my opinion was allow themselves to be dictated to by the kill sector, WE NEED TO LEARN THE LESSONS OF HISTORY. I will stop keeping cattle rather than sell dead weight
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
The rot set in in the mid 90’s when Max Hilliard ran Malton Bacon Factory, the slaughter job went into too few hands. Malton also ‘pioneered’ farm assurance with the Malton code which was one of the fore runners of the red tractor. The whole job was made worse by the f**k wit Tory politician Richard Body who put forward a private members bill to competitively disadvantage UK pig farms against the rest of Europe when the pig cycle was at is trough.

People blaming other large farmers for this mess are very wrong. It was and is the greed of blue chip companies including the retailers and inept Tory politicians. The only thing pig farmers did wrong in my opinion was allow themselves to be dictated to by the kill sector, WE NEED TO LEARN THE LESSONS OF HISTORY. I will stop keeping cattle rather than sell dead weight
Well challenge WLA and EID wherever you can then as that is the road to cutting out the live markets and vertical integration
 

Lowland1

Member
Mixed Farmer
Absolutely but the pig and chicken men have put themselves in that situation with the big is better attitude… in the last 5 years everywhere you drive there’s massive units going up for pigs and chickens.. pigs going out on bed and breakfast on massive rents…. It’s total madness and it was always going too tumble down the hill bloody fast when the dam eventually gave way…
It’s farming. If margins are smaller then the only way to keep going is to get bigger. If you make £ 5 a pig on 1000 pigs per year then it’s hard to make a living however £ 5 per pig on 10,000 is a lot better. It’s a case of get bigger or get out especially as it’s an industry with no Government support. And the truth of it is it would be this way if the margins were £ 50 or £ 100 a pig because big buys out small or at least marginalises it. How many on here would not take over the farm next door if it was offered to you rather than stepping back and allowing someone else or heaven forbid a new entrant in.
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
It’s a case of get bigger or get out especially as it’s an industry with no Government support.
Don't know why that is said about pig farmers, I know one pig farmer that gets several times over what I get [as a cattle farmer] in government support.
they get the same as anyone else, its up to them if they choose to have land and grow the food for their pigs or buy it in just the same as it is for beef or sheep farmers and even if they do buy it in the food will be grown somewhere and that land will most likely get government support,
 

Hilly

Member
It’s farming. If margins are smaller then the only way to keep going is to get bigger. If you make £ 5 a pig on 1000 pigs per year then it’s hard to make a living however £ 5 per pig on 10,000 is a lot better. It’s a case of get bigger or get out especially as it’s an industry with no Government support. And the truth of it is it would be this way if the margins were £ 50 or £ 100 a pig because big buys out small or at least marginalises it. How many on here would not take over the farm next door if it was offered to you rather than stepping back and allowing someone else or heaven forbid a new entrant in.
I’ve turned down another farm , told the guy to rent it to someone else I’ve got plenty , I’m not greedy .
 

Lowland1

Member
Mixed Farmer
Don't know why that is said about pig farmers, I know one pig farmer that gets several times over what I get [as a cattle farmer] in government support.
they get the same as anyone else, its up to them if they choose to have land and grow the food for their pigs or buy it in just the same as it is for beef or sheep farmers and even if they do buy it in the food will be grown somewhere and that land will most likely get government support,
Choose to have land???? Pigs and Poultry have always been a way to get into farming without the need to have a lot of land. I can’t remember ever getting paid for the privilege of having pigs however we do get money for farming land. How is this pig farmer you talk of supported is it by number of pigs or acres farmed.
 

Hilly

Member
Choose to have land???? Pigs and Poultry have always been a way to get into farming without the need to have a lot of land. I can’t remember ever getting paid for the privilege of having pigs however we do get money for farming land. How is this pig farmer you talk of supported is it by number of pigs or acres farmed.
You get paid per acre so a pig farmer with acres claims , hell of lot pigs are outdoor so they have acres and claim bps , all stock is unsupported apart from Scottish sucklers.
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Choose to have land???? Pigs and Poultry have always been a way to get into farming without the need to have a lot of land. I can’t remember ever getting paid for the privilege of having pigs however we do get money for farming land. How is this pig farmer you talk of supported is it by number of pigs or acres farmed.
yep that's right choose to have land.
He has land that he grows the food for his pigs on just the same as I have land I grow the food for my cattle on, he gets a payment for his land and I get a payment for what I farm, neither payment has anything to do with the type of farming that goes on
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
You get paid per acre so a pig farmer with acres claims , hell of lot pigs are outdoor so they have acres and claim bps , all stock is unsupported apart from Scottish sucklers.
don't really matter if the pigs are outdoors, In the case I am talking about they are not, they just grow food for their animals same as I do.

back on topic, I haven't heard that he has had any problems shifting his pigs, if I get chance I will ask
 

Lowland1

Member
Mixed Farmer
yep that's right choose to have land.
He has land that he grows the food for his pigs on just the same as I have land I grow the food for my cattle on, he gets a payment for his land and I get a payment for what I farm, neither payment has anything to do with the type of farming that goes on
Historically though that hasn’t been the case and as i stated getting into farming through pigs and poultry was the option for many who couldn’t choose or as i would say afford to obtain land. The SFP is an amalgam of various subsidy that were previously paid to farmers for production or non production or whatever i know there was support for milk and cows and sheep and cereals etc but i don’t recall ever recieving anything for pigs. We and a lot of our neighbours were able to expand our farming business by expanding our pig herds not because we didn’t choose to buy land but because we couldn’t afford it. Lots of people would like to choose to buy land however it’s not that simple.
 

Hilly

Member
The single farm payment was done away with years ago and is now called bps which is acerage based nothing less .
Historically though that hasn’t been the case and as i stated getting into farming through pigs and poultry was the option for many who couldn’t choose or as i would say afford to obtain land. The SFP is an amalgam of various subsidy that were previously paid to farmers for production or non production or whatever i know there was support for milk and cows and sheep and cereals etc but i don’t recall ever recieving anything for pigs. We and a lot of our neighbours were able to expand our farming business by expanding our pig herds not because we didn’t choose to buy land but because we couldn’t afford it. Lots of people would like to choose to buy land however it’s not that simple.
 

JP1

Member
Livestock Farmer
I know there a few pig farmers and friends on here , so I think it opportune to post this from the AHDB :

Don't suffer in silence – support is available​

Things aren't easy at the moment. There are labour shortages, falling pig prices and many farmers are having to hold pigs on farm for longer than usual. But remember, you are not alone. There are lots of charities and organisations that you can lean on for support, a listening ear and helpful resources, including:

The Farming Community Network (FCN) supports farmers and families in the farming community. Whether the issue is personal or business-related, FCN is there for you. T: 03000 111999
The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) provides local support to the farming community across England and Wales. It offers guidance, financial support and practical care to people of all ages. T: 08082 819490

YANA – rural mental health support. Help for those involved in farming and other rural businesses affected by stress and depression. T: 03003 230400

You can find more resources, links and helpful advice for coping during stressful times on our website. You are not alone – reach out if you are struggling.

Please remember there's a lot of fellow farmers to listen and to offer support
 

Lowland1

Member
Mixed Farmer
The single farm payment was done away with years ago and is now called bps which is acerage based nothing less .
Yep sorry i don’t follow the name changes it’s just something they give us for free for having land. #Result as my children wouldn’t say.
Still doesn’t take away what i feel is that intensive animal agriculture seems to be the bad relation in the farming family.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 78 42.9%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 63 34.6%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.5%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 5 2.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,286
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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