§ Mr. CoakerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made with efforts to support British pig farmers; and if he will make a statement. [82205]
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§ Mr. RookerThe present situation remains serious for pig farmers, with prices still unstable and below the costs of production. Nevertheless, the average all-pigs price has shown a 26 per cent. improvement since its low point in January. European Commission figures indicate that current UK pig prices are 20 per cent. higher than the EU average, and higher than in any member state except Luxembourg. Whether the present gap between UK and EU prices will be sustainable is difficult to judge, but the fact that it exists at all is due, at least in part, to the emphasis on high animal welfare and other standards.
In recent months, the Government have done an enormous amount of work to assist the British pig industry. This includes lobbying the Commission in Brussels to use the existing mechanisms of export refunds and private storage aid to their best effect, encouraging retailers, caterers and public procurement bodies to take account of quality and welfare factors when making their purchases, writing to all MPs and UK MEPs encouraging them to support the pig industry in its endeavours to meet consumer demands, and continuing to invest considerable sums of public money in pig related R&D.