§ Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknishasked Her Majesty's Government:
What estimates have been made of the optimum number of breeding sows in Scotland to sustain a viable pig industry; what the current numbers are; and by how much Scotland is over or under provided. [HL853]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Scottish Office (Lord Sewel)The size of the Scottish breeding herd is determined by many factors, including domestic as well as international supply and demand. 74,000 breeding pigs were recorded at the 1998 June Agricultural Census. Numbers will have dropped substantially since then, as a result of major market over-supply.
Recognising the difficulties facing the Scottish pig industry, I initiated an in-depth study last summer into the challenges it faced. The report, by the Scottish Agricultural College, will be published in the near future.