Any sympathy for pig farmers?

There are lots of outdoor reared pigs around here, living in fields in arks, well there was. Yesterday as we drove past, most of the fields were empty, no pigs in the arks, just a few sows in one field, but no piglets.

MaizieD

Whitewavemark2

Is there a charity who could take the pigs and deliver them (frozen) to the poor or starving? I guess the logistics are far too difficult.

Shortage of butchers, too. I don't think many people would know what to do with a whole frozen pig.

I realised my daft post as soon as I posted it.

I really don't understand where he thinks this "highly skilled workforce" is going to come from!
To be highly skilled you need to have the correct training in the first instance, not just walk into a job , be handed a knife and be able to cut up a carcass that is actually saleable!
Proper training for any job usually takes years to become qualified. He'll be expecting an 18 year old to be given a screwdriver, pair of pliers and a visivest and become an electrician next!
What planet do these people live on ????

I'd suggest Johnson should go and spend one whole day shooting young pigs on a farm, and take them, and watch them, being incinerated- it might take the smug arrogant smirk off his face.

Mind you, just as I posted, I had a horrible feeling that hie might actually enjoy it

He would probably have a great day out doing it.

Don't forget he waived the rule of six for shooting parties.

I feel sorry for the farmers and for the pigs. What a disgraceful waste and how disrespectful of life.

There are two issues here. The first is the complete governmental 'head in the sand' absence of planning that farmers have been calling for for more than a year. They have been left high and dry by a government that promised what they are unable to deliver. (And yes, many of our local farmers did vote for Brexit and are now furious because they say they were lied to.)

The second issue is about the quality standards of British Meat, allied with changing eating habits. I think it is now inevitable that meat imports will rise and this may create a downturn in welfare standards for British foods.

These issues however have raised questions about the amount of meat we eat and increased awareness (as evidenced quite clearly on this thread) about how we treat the animals in our food chain - and that can only be a good thing.

We grow most of our own food (and I'm now feeling slightly anxious about power cuts in the future as I have three well-stocked freezers). We eat hand-caught fish supplied by our son, eggs from my daughter, sister-in-law, or the local farm shop and twice a year we buy a whole deer that my husband skins and butchers himself. We used to buy a piglet that was fostered by a friend on his smallholding, then both killed and butchered at a small facility nearby; sadly our friend sold his property so until we can find a similar situation we rarely eat pork any more and when we do it's reared up the road by an organic farmer.

I'm just horrified at the lack of planning this gov't has done on so many issues, and the PM just makes a joke of it, but he can go on holiday and leave behind a population who can't be sure the shops will be well stocked, with people without enough to live on and with animals being slaughtered what should be needlessly. I can't wait to vote these liars out. I don't know if anyone saw question time last week, but people are really sick of the blonde cabbage patch doll & his pals

^ I don't know if anyone saw question time last week, but people are really sick of the blonde cabbage patch doll & his pals^

And that was an audience stacked to reflect the 2016 referendum result. A majority of Brexit voters...

I am not convinced that the entire audience in the conference hall were as adoring and convinced of Johnson’s integrity and truthfulness as may have seemed.

The Tories are very good as putting on a fact to the outside world ( unlike Labour) but there are a lot of unhappy traditional Tory MPs who hate what Johnson is doing.

But some people lap up and defend the porkies.

Scones

When Boris said 'F*ck business' he obviously included agriculture.

Those poor pigs. How cruel and wasteful.

I have sympathy for farmers who work so very hard and take pride in producing quality food for our tables. This must be devastating for them.

I just wish they'd had a good hard think before they hammered all those Vote Conservative and Vote Brexit signs into their hedgerows.

We’re pig farmers. We certainly did not vote for Brexit. Why did people vote Brexit if they didn’t even know what they were voting for? The government weren’t prepared for and weren’t aware of these impending situations so why did the lemmings vote for it?

vegansrock

But some people lap up and defend the porkies.

Yes I know and really I think Johnson is a cult more than a traditional political leader. No Tory could outline current tory policy or plans.

Johnson just seems to totter from day to day doing what he thinks will continue his popularity, but that doesn’t seem to include what is best for the people of the U.K. or it’s businesses.

There is a good article by Rawnsley today worth a read.

The pig crisis started with the CO2 shortage in addition to a shortage of workers, if slaughterhouses have to use electro stunning it needs more staff. There are many “predictions” of dumping, has any actually happened yet?.

I can find space in my freezer for a porker, it’s been a while but I can joint it myself if needed.

Lions led by donkeys

Complete empathy for both pugs and farmers ! Even though a fairly large proportion vote to leave the EU. I believe many of them genuinely believed this would stop “quota rules” and allow them to farm fields previously left fallow and avoid imports of meat. What has happened in reality in a disaster for them, their animals and us as consumers. To destroy animals bred and raised specifically for food (the rights and wrong of eating animals is a whole different debate) and not have them enter the food chain and “culled” or as we’d put it, needlessly destroyed, us utterly disgraceful and wasteful !

Farming is a business like any other, Why then is it always the responsibility of the government to deal with everything?
Farmers like any other business need to start thinking outside the box and put their energy into dealing with their problems rather than expecting the government to do so. We all knew that Brexit would change things, particularly with regard to cheap foreign labour and there was plenty of time to make contingency plans.
Why not for example open an abattoir in the grounds of a prison and provide worthwhile employment for inmates -not only slaughtering but butchering, curing, packaging, distribution arrangements etc - all worthwhile skills which will be needed and provide them with employment when their time is served.
I don't understand farming but I do know that there are plenty of freezers in this country which could accommodate some nice fresh pork and lots of butchers (every supermarket has them as well as independent ones) so farmers and retailers need to work out a new and different way of working instead of relying on the same old way it's been done for years.

Of course I meant Pigs not Pugs !! Anyone know how to edit once posted ??

Our PM wouldn’t agree. His attitude is that they will be killed anyway so what is the fuss?

He isn’t giving the pigs or farmers a second thought at the moment. Enjoying his paid for luxury villa in Spain.

Cossy

Of course I meant Pigs not Pugs !! Anyone know how to edit once posted ??

You can't. Just have to do a followup post to correct your error.

We keep asking for an edit facility, even just a time limited one, but it can't be done.

Why then is it always the responsibility of the government to deal with everything?

ermmm - because that's what they're for?

Why not for example open an abattoir in the grounds of a prison and provide worthwhile employment for inmates

I've just been described as patronising on another thread, so I won't comment on this

We all knew that Brexit would change things, particularly with regard to cheap foreign labour

But I thought that after Brexit all the UK natives whose jobs had been stolen by the cheap foreign labour would rush to fill the vacancies. That's what the Leave voters on here kept telling us...

Have you any idea why this hasn't happened, janipans?

I've just been described as patronising on another thread, so I won't comment on this

I've been biting my tongue, too, Alegrias

I enjoyed the 'I don't understand farming' comment...

Great idea Janipans, sharp knives, butchery machinery in a prison, what could possibly go wrong. Brexiteers told us repeatedly that the foreigners were coming here and taking their jobs, so where are all they all now? If you voted for it, are you happy to butcher a pig? Pick a few rows of cabbages? Care for several confused and incontinent elderly people? I thought not.