UK Pig Sector At Risk Due to Fifth Delay in EU Food Import Checks

The UK government’s decision to delay checks on food imports from the EU for the fifth time, pushing the date from October to January 2024, exposes the UK pig population to grave diseases like African swine fever (ASF). Despite the UK having left the EU in January 2021, controls on UK meat exports to the EU remain stringent. The National Pig Association (NPA) emphasizes that the absence of these checks jeopardizes UK farmers. ASF, which has heavily impacted countries such as Germany, Belgium, Romania, Poland, China, Vietnam, and regions in Sub Saharan Africa, has led to the loss of millions of pigs. NPA and other associations have expressed their dissatisfaction and concern, pointing out the government’s lax approach towards border controls, endangering biosecurity, and maintaining an unfair trade dynamic.