Tesco, a supermarket giant in the UK, recently announced a significant increase in the price paid to pig and poultry producers.
This announcement comes shortly after the National Farmers Union (NFU) and National Pig Association (NPA) held a national launch to raise awareness of impending crisis within the industry.
Feeds costs that producers are being forces to pay have seen massive increases, resulting in producers seeing more than half of their production costs going to feed.
NFU poultry board chairman Charles Bourns: “This news comes at a critical time for UK poultry producers. Our findings highlight that feed costs have risen by 25% in the last 12 months – from £140/tonne in August 2006 to £180/tonne this August, and still rising… Cost increases like these simply cannot be absorbed by producers which is why we commend Tesco for reacting to these supply chain pressures so swiftly.”