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Pig Journal Volume: 51
Publication date: June 2003

General Section

THE UK PIG MEAT MARKET: STRUCTURE AND TRENDS 2001
D.G.S. Burch

Abstract
The UK pig market has gone through some major contraction over the last few years with pigs slaughtered collapsing from a peak of 16.5 million to 10.2 million in 2002. The strength of the pound against the European currencies and now the Euro, the unilateral introduction of welfare codes, especially related to the banning of stalls and tethers, the banning of meat and bone meal as a feed ingredient following BSE, reduced the UK's competitiveness with the European producers making it more vulnerable to imports of cheaper meat. Disease has also had a major impact. Post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) damaged productivity; but this also affected other European countries; although only more recently, Denmark. Swine fever in 2000, and Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) in 2001 also took its toll, not so much directly, as relatively few farms were affected; but indirectly by movement and export restrictions. As much of a pig veterinarian's work is linked to pork production, it is a great concern to see the falling numbers, as well as the major changes that are going on in the UK market. Are they reversible, one asks?

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