Pig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    • September 2025
    • August 2025
    • 2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement
    • July 2025
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Buildings supplement
    • February 2025
    • 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Pig Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • 2024 Buildings Supplement
    • March 2024
    • 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • Health Supplement
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
Podcast
Pig WorldPig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    1. September 2025
    2. August 2025
    3. 2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement
    4. July 2025
    5. June 2025
    6. 2025 Innovation supplement
    7. May 2025
    8. April 2025
    9. March 2025
    10. 2025 Buildings supplement
    11. February 2025
    12. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    13. January 2025
    14. December 2024
    15. November 2024
    16. 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    17. October 2024
    18. September 2024
    19. August 2024
    20. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    21. July 2024
    22. June 2024
    23. 2024 Innovation supplement
    24. 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    25. May 2024
    26. April 2024
    27. 2024 Buildings Supplement
    28. March 2024
    29. 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    30. February 2024
    31. January 2024
    32. December 2023
    33. November 2023
    34. 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    35. October 2023
    36. September 2023
    37. Health Supplement
    Featured

    September 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    September 1, 2025
    Recent

    September 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    September 1, 2025

    August 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    August 1, 2025

    2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement now available

    August 1, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
Comment

Remember the helping hand for pig farmers? No, me neither

Sam WaltonBy Sam WaltonOctober 25, 20163 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email
Sam Walton

How easy it is to make a mistake. I glanced through the Yorkshire Post and saw the headline ‘May to guarantee support for farms’.

I was ecstatic, we were really going to be important and expansion came to mind. Yet, when I looked again, it said firms, not farms!

I was on a high for all of two minutes, but should not have been surprised.

The pig industry is used to standing on its own trotters. I do have a faint recollection that in the dim and distant past, there was some sort of financial scheme for pigs, not very big and not for very long.

Had it been worthwhile, even I, with my addled brain, would have remembered what it was.

All I do remember is that French farmers were able to abuse it and did not, so far as I know, actually pay back what they had been given on a temporary basis.
Agriculture is hugely important to France and the French farmers do get away with things we would be fined for. I don’t blame them one bit; but imagine the consequences if we went to spread manure down Whitehall… Need I say more?

Another thing I am sure of is that in every agricultural office, department or government office in France, you would find French food. Wouldn’t it be a great move if we could persuade our Government to do the same here with British food instead of buying the cheapest?

Towards the end of August, wheat prices rose to £20 above last year’s prices. That was a relief and there was talk of prices hitting £128 for November and more than £130 for January. That sounded quite encouraging and then for no apparent reason, the price dropped to £118 for November.

How can you manage a business like that, even though it is good news for the pig men? Subsequently it climbed to £125 for November, so anyone who panicked in the meantime and sold forward at that low price will have missed out again. Quite rightly, the public thinks we are all crackers. We plant crops without the faintest notion of what we might get for them. How many people go to work without knowing exactly what they are going to be paid? Certainly not the politicians!

Russia is always of interest. From having a relatively small pig industry, it now has a very efficient, growing industry (thanks to European genetics and consultancy).

Russian multi-sites are losing popularity for a couple of reasons: health being one, transport costs another. They are finding that farrow-to-finish is cheaper to build and I don’t suppose that Russian farms are as suitable for bed and breakfast as they are here.

Yes, they are still short of pigmeat so are being paid a fair price, making around US$70 profit per pig, despite importing from Brazil, because of the European embargo in both directions.

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleI’m impressed by the commitment to British pork….from some
Next Article How we are eliminating tail-biting, no thanks to the experts!
Sam Walton

Read Similar Stories

Vet View: Managing heat stress in pigs

August 6, 2025

Comment: Was the move indoors the right decision for us?

August 4, 2025

Comment: British pork reimagined: Data-led marketing for a changing consumer

July 9, 2025
Latest News

GB pig prices for week ending August 30, 2025 – SPP drops back

September 3, 2025

Straw prices for the week ending September 7, 2025

September 3, 2025

Farm assurance debate: An important change driven by the supply chain

September 3, 2025
Sponsored Content

Enhancing Weaned Pig Health and Performance with Zinc and Iron

August 1, 2025

THE GATEKEEPER OF RESPIRATORY HEALTH – MYCOPLASMA HYOPNEUMONIAE (M.HYO)

April 30, 2024
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1773 Aberdeenshire

    • Aberdeenshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Senior Pig Stockperson – Ref 1772 Aberdeenshire

    • Aberdeenshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Senior Pig Stockperson – Ref 1771 Australia

    • Queensland, Australia
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
GETTING IN TOUCH
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Meet The Editors
  • About Us
  • Email Newsletters
  • Subscribe
  • Reuse permissions
OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
PARTNER EVENTS
RELATED SITES
  • Farmers Weekly
  • Agronomist & Arable Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • National Pig Awards
  • Pigs Tomorrow
  • Poultry News
  • Weekly Tribune
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.