Farming

Pig haulage faces major challenges

Published

10 years ago

December 23, 2015

Driver shortage: Affecting livestock farmers

SOME of the country’s leading livestock hauliers say their industry is facing a crisis on a number of fronts. The most significant is the difficulty in finding suitable drivers from home or abroad. The Road Haulage Association has indicated there is a shortage of 45,000 suitably qualified HGV licence holders in the country. This will have a major impact upon livestock hauliers, and comes at a time when the pig industry could do without any further bad news. Other challenges include: Farm Assurance: The efficiency, location and working speed of lorry washes needs to become a much greater part of the overall farm assurance package. In some cases, washes are still treated by processors as the lowest common denominator. They need upgrading with better disinfection systems and the like.

Animal welfare is compromised if long queues build up at abattoirs for whatever reason, and journey times are extended. Lorry washing: Lorry washing at abattoirs to improve biosecurity and reduce the risk of disease transfer is to be encouraged, but in a number of cases, lorry washing facilities at certain abattoirs can best be described as inadequate, with breakdowns also causing a problem, and recently, one large abattoir had to send dirty lorries home to be washed elsewhere because its facilities were not working.

With freezing weather approaching, more problems of this nature are likely to emerge. There is a lack of contingency planning for when washes break down. Some processors have made significant and expensive improvements to their facilities, but this isn’t the case everywhere. Washing costs are, in any event, passed onto producers but could be levied more efficiently on a per head basis, which is now the case with some abattoirs, rather than a flat rate according to lorry size. This also does away with collecting payments or tokens from hauliers. Lairage space: Although abattoirs are to be encouraged for taking extra pigs, especially in the run-up to Christmas, in many cases lairage space is wholly inadequate and pigs are having to spend long periods on ‘ free ‘ mobile lairages which happen to be hauliers’ vehicles, but while they are tied up being used as portable pens they cannot be on the road, moving pigs and earning money. This also affects haulage costs and compromises animal welfare too.

Working time Directive: Livestock hauliers are required to observe WTD rules, which is hard to do when vehicles are held up either by inadequate washing facilities or are being used as lairage space. If long delays persist, some hauliers may have to introduce hourly rates, which will add to producers’ costs. Loading bays on farms: Loading and sending pigs to be marketed is the most important task on any livestock farm and some producers need to give greater thought to designing and installing loading bays and, where bays are already in place, making they are efficient and can facilitate swift loading at all hours of the day and night. This will ultimately cut down on the number of hours lorries kept waiting while straw bales and sheets of tin are moved round various farmyards before loading can even start.

Drivers: Bearing in mind the 45,000 shortage of HGV drivers, the lack of skilled staff is currently the biggest challenge facing the whole livestock haulage industry. Despite high salaries reported, in some cases in excess of £40,000 a year, to key men, more are leaving the industry than joining, attracted by competitive salaries and a generally cleaner environment, with non-livestock industries and none of the stress attached to moving livestock over long distances, early morning loading and washing out with inadequate facilities, as well as having to meet often impossible timetables due to many of the time-limiting factors set out above.

Livestock haulage bosses are warning this is a major crisis and a combination of better working conditions and facilities, higher wages plus more respect from some processors is the only way in which the loss of drivers can be reversed. Haulage rates will inevitably have to rise to meet higher wage bills despite cheaper fuel costs and this will ultimately come out of producers’ pockets, many of whom are already trading at negative margins. But without an improvement in the day-to-day life of a livestock lorry driver, it is difficult to see how this situation can be reversed without a major restructuring of working conditions, processor systems and wage rates. To some extent, livestock hauliers have always been taken for granted but there are clear signs this will not be the case in the future, unless new employees can be encouraged to join this challenging but vital industry.

Farming

Imported meat bill hits £5bn as Co-op calls for stronger backing for UK farmers

Published

10 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

RISING IMPORTS RAISE FOOD SECURITY CONCERNS

THE CO-OP has called for stronger government support for British farmers after new figures showed the UK’s imported meat bill rose to more than £5bn last year.

HMRC data obtained by the retailer shows the value of meat imported into the UK increased by 15 per cent year-on-year, from £4.33bn in 2024 to £5.06bn in 2025.

The Co-op said the figures raised fresh concerns about the resilience of Britain’s food system at a time of climate change, global conflict and disruption to international supply chains.

Poultry was the most imported protein, worth almost £2bn in 2025. Poland and the Netherlands accounted for the largest share, while poultry imports from Thailand rose by almost 50 per cent compared with the previous year.

The retailer, which says it sells and uses 100 per cent British meat and poultry, said the UK’s growing reliance on overseas supply chains left shoppers and farmers more exposed to global shocks.

It is now backing proposals from the Co-operative Party calling for agricultural co-operatives to be scaled up and better supported as part of the Government’s long-term farming plans.

The policy paper argues that farmer-owned co-operatives can help producers share costs, reduce risk, invest collectively and secure stronger bargaining power in the food supply chain.

There are currently estimated to be more than 500 agricultural co-operatives in the UK, generating income of more than £9bn.

Paul Gerrard, Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns at Co-op, said: “The issue of supply chain resilience is upon us now and there is a clear and demonstrable benefit to the co-operative business model in agriculture.

“An expansion of agricultural co-operation is both an economic opportunity and a political imperative: it directly addresses the need for a more secure and sustainable food system, one less exposed to the volatility of global markets and the instability in a rapidly changing world.”

Joe Fortune, Leader of the Co-operative Party, said co-operation was “a form of strategic resilience” and called on Government to help grow the sector.

The party’s proposals include clearer government guidance for farmers, stronger representation for co-operatives in policy-making, improved access to finance, support for producer organisations, and greater use of public procurement to back British farming.

Farming

Badger Trust urges next Welsh Government to keep non-lethal TB policy

Published

5 days ago

April 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Charity says Wales should continue science-led approach as bovine TB cases fall

BADGER Trust has called on the next Welsh Government to maintain a science-led and non-lethal approach to tackling bovine tuberculosis.

The charity says Wales should continue to focus on cattle testing, farm biosecurity and support for farmers, rather than wildlife intervention.

According to Badger Trust, bovine TB cases in Wales had fallen by 13.6% by the end of 2025, without any wildlife culling. It said this compared with a 5% fall in England over the same period.

The charity said 5.3% of cattle herds in Wales were not officially TB-free at the end of 2025, down 0.4 percentage points on the previous year. It said 567 new herd incidents were recorded during the year, alongside a 27% reduction in early cattle slaughter.

Badger Trust said bovine TB remains a serious threat to cattle health, but argued that the best response is a cattle-focused policy, including more frequent and enhanced testing, improved farm hygiene, and non-slaughter options for cattle testing positive.

The charity said: “The premature culling of cattle due to a failed bovine TB test is outdated and unnecessary. Instead, strict segregation is an effective alternative.

“The main focus must be on eliminating the reservoir of bovine TB in the national herd in preparation for cattle vaccination.”

Badger Trust also argued that bovine TB can remain dormant in cattle and in the environment for long periods before being detected, which can lead to mistaken assumptions that infection has entered a closed herd from wildlife.

It said the disease can also be spread through contaminated vehicles, workwear, manure and slurry if proper biosecurity measures are not followed.

The charity added: “Focusing on badgers distracts from the real issue, as DNA testing shows that 94-95% of bovine TB infections are transmitted directly between cattle.

“The only effective way to combat bovine TB is to address it at its source: within the cattle population.”

Badger Trust is urging the next Welsh Government to “hold its nerve” and continue with a science-led, evidence-based, non-lethal policy.

Nigel Palmer, Chief Executive of Badger Trust, said the charity wanted Wales to continue “leading by example” in its approach to tackling the disease.

Badger Trust says it welcomes the end of intensive badger culling licences in England in 2026, but remains opposed to presenting badger vaccination as the main solution to bovine TB. It argues that improved cattle testing and stronger farm biosecurity offer a more effective and humane way forward.

The charity also warned that badgers face a separate threat from changes linked to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which it says could weaken protections for badger setts in development areas.

Badger Trust is the leading voice for badgers in England and Wales and works through a network of local badger groups. Its Badgers Belong Here campaign promotes badger protection and public education.

Farming

FUW warns food security must be treated as national security

Published

5 days ago

April 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Union says rising fuel and fertiliser costs are putting pressure on farmers and food supply chains

THE FARMERS’ Union of Wales has warned that food security must be treated as a UK-wide priority as global instability continues to drive up costs for farmers.

FUW President Ian Rickman and Deputy President Dai Miles met Defra Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Dame Angela Eagle MP in Westminster to discuss the impact of international events on farming, production costs and the resilience of food supplies.

They were also joined by Wales Office Minister Anna McMorrin MP.

The union said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Gulf region had added significant pressure to key agricultural inputs and energy costs.

According to the FUW, fertiliser prices, particularly urea and ammonium nitrate, have risen by between 20% and 30% since the escalation of the conflict.

The union is calling for greater transparency around fertiliser stocks and distribution across the UK.

Fuel costs have also risen sharply, with the FUW saying red diesel has effectively doubled in price in some cases. Wider agricultural fuel and energy costs are continuing to rise across the sector, placing further pressure on farm businesses already operating on tight margins.

The union warned that these cost increases are feeding through the entire food supply chain, affecting production, transport, processing and manufacturing, and are likely to contribute further to food price inflation.

The FUW repeated its call for a UK-wide legislative food security metric, which it says should be taken forward by the next Welsh Government in collaboration with the UK Government.

It said food security is a cross-UK issue, affecting all four nations because of the closely integrated nature of agri-food supply chains.

The union also pointed to recent government evidence, including Defra’s 2024 Food Security Report and its 2025 national security assessment on biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse.

It said these highlighted long-term risks to food production, including climate change, nature decline, animal and plant disease, supply chain disruption and exposure to volatile global markets.

FUW President Ian Rickman said: “We welcomed the opportunity to meet Minister Eagle and Minister McMorrin, and highlight the continued impact of recent global instability on Welsh farmers.

“Food security is national security, and recent global instability has made that clearer than ever.

“Farmers are facing surging cost pressures, particularly from fertilisers and sharply rising fuel costs such as red diesel, which in some cases have doubled.

“These are forces far beyond their control, yet they directly threaten the resilience of our food system.

“We urgently need a coordinated UK-wide approach that recognises the strategic importance of domestic food production and reduces our exposure to volatile international markets.

“With that must come regular and meaningful engagement between Defra and agricultural stakeholders across the UK, including the FUW, particularly on policy areas that remain reserved to the UK Government.”