Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many healthy pigs were slaughtered in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) since January 1 2022 due to (i) problems in supply chains and (ii) availability of veterinary and slaughterhouse staff.

Defra does not collect data on the number of pigs culled on farms. Producers, who are responsible for the welfare of animals on farm, are also not required to submit such data to us. We therefore have no data on the culling of pigs in 2020. However, from our engagement with the pig sector, we understand that around 29,800 pigs were culled on farms between 1 September and 31 December 2021 and around 6,200 pigs have been culled on farm since 1 January 2022. We are very aware of the impact the culling of pigs is having on the individual farmers involved.

We continue to monitor the evolving situation and to work closely with the pig industry. On 10 February I chaired a roundtable with pig industry representatives from across the UK to discuss the challenges that the sector has been facing in recent months caused by the pandemic, including the loss of exports to the Chinese market for certain pig processors, disruption to CO2 supplies, and a temporary shortage of labour in the processing sector. We have provided a package of measures to help address these unique circumstances, which includes temporary work visas for up to 800 pork butchers, and Private Storage Aid and Slaughter Incentive Payment schemes to facilitate an increase in the throughput of pigs through abattoirs.