‘The era of cheap food is ending’
The NFU and National Pig Association declare that cheap pork and poultry is unsustainable


The National Farmers? Union and the National Pig Association have launched a campaign for sustainable prices for the pig and poultry sectors.
The pig sector is currently losing £3.9 million a week. Approximately half the farmers? costs are from the feed and, with the current price of pork at £1.09 per kilo, the average farmer will lose £26 per pig. Poultry feed prices are also rising, from £180 to £230 per tonne in the autumn.
The campaign calls for an increase of 7-17 pence on the price of a pack of pork, and an increase of 12-15 pence per kg for poultry.
Peter Kendall, President of the NFU, said: ?Last month, as part of the supermarket price war, Asda promoted and sold its £2 chicken. This is clearly unsustainable and sends completely the wrong message.
?However, things are changing, with Tesco this week announcing its plans to sell the same size bird for £3.39 ? a rise of four per cent. While this increase is good news we need to see it reflected throughout the supply chain and passed back to the farm-gate ? The era of cheap food is coming, and must come, to an end.?
NPA chairman Stewart Houston added: ?Wheat prices have rocketed world-wide and, as a result, many pig farmers? businesses ? are under threat. A modest rise of 7p to 17p per pack of pork or pork products is all it would take to move the industry back from breaking-point, but we need action in days not weeks.?
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
-
Merlins: Britain's smallest bird of prey is a 'swerving, zigzagging, 240mph weighted missile' that's gutsy enough to chase off a golden eagle
Size doesn’t matter when it comes to the fighting spirit of the tiny merlin, a fierce parent and favoured hunting accessory of Mary, Queen of Scots.
-
The greatest moment in the life of Jessie Owens: Country Life Quiz of the Day, June 13, 2025
Breathtaking athleticism and Shakespeare's birthday are among the questions in the final quiz of the week.