As of January 1, the European Union's new rules on pig welfare kick in, making old-style stall and tether systems illegal.
Unfortunately, the UK is one of the few EU member states where pig farmers have made the effort – and paid the price – of creating new welfare-friendly pig accomodation.
Many other EU countries have not, and the UK pig industry now faces another year of unfair competition against overseas producers offering cut-price, welfare unfriendly and technically illegal pigmeat.
(For the full story see The Scottish Farmer this week, December 29 2012)
