Question reference: S6W-12073
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 10 November 2022
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Current status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 21 November 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to pig producers experiencing rising costs and price competition from imports.
Answer
Last August we launched the Pig Producers Hardship Support Scheme. This scheme initially provided £715,000 of funding to producers and was specifically aimed to support those affected by the temporary closure of the Quality Pig Processors plant at Brechin and the loss of the plant’s export licence to China. We extended the scheme twice for producers who supplied QPP Brechin, with the total support delivered via the scheme now amounting to approximately £1.8 million. We were also aware of the issues in the sector with regard to the shortage of butchers and introduced a private storage aid scheme in Scotland to support processing.
Scottish pig producers have also been impacted by the UK Government decision to avoid implementing import controls earlier this year. That decision has left our domestic producers at disadvantage.
We are also consulting, alongside the UK Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland DAERA on contractual practices in the UK pig sector with the aim of supporting a competitive and resilient sector that delivers benefits for producers.