HC Deb 04 March 1975 vol 887 c368W
Mr. Geraint Howells

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many pig producers went out of business in Great Britain in 1973 and 1974 respectively.

Mr. Bishop

Information in precisely the form requested is not available. The structure of the pig industry in Britain has been changing over a number of years, with a larger proportion of the herd being concentrated in the ownership of fewer and larger businesses. In Great Britain in the two periods June 1972 to June 1973 and June 1973 to June 1974 there were net reductions of 5,176 and 6,398, respectively, in the total numbers of holdings carrying pigs.