The Scottish pig farming sector is facing an unprecedented crisis, with producers warning the industry has reached “breaking point” as an increasing number are forced to exit the market. An oversupply of pork across Europe, coupled with escalating production costs and stagnant supermarket prices, has rendered many operations unprofitable, according to industry representatives.
Gregor Christie, who manages a family farm in Port William, Dumfries and Galloway, highlighted the severe financial strain. His business incurred a £70,000 loss in the first quarter of 2026 alone.
“Three or four more months of this and we’ll be needing to look at whether we can continue at all. To produce a pig on my farm is approximately £1.80 per kilogram. We are receiving shy of £1.40 per kilogram currently. So there’s a 40p per kilogram loss on each animal, which is completely unsustainable.”
“For the first quarter of our financial year, which finished at the end of March, we were £70,000 down in income. So another three quarters of that will be in the realms of £250,000.”
Mr Christie concluded, “This is a case of save our bacon. We can usually fix issues internally within the industry – but it is now a breaking point.”
Another farmer, Alastair Lane from Lockerbie, made the difficult decision to sell his entire herd of 3,500 pigs, including 250 breeding sows, in February. He attributed his departure from the sector to “unsustainable and constant uncertainty” in the markets, describing the crisis as “beyond devastating.”
“It’s wrenching,” Mr Lane said. “It’s a lifetime of work that’s been done by the whole family and staff, but financially it just doesn’t make sense to keep investing in something that doesn’t have the security going forward. There is just too much uncertainty and I think it’s best to exit stage left.”
The scale of the crisis is reflected in National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) estimates, indicating that approximately 10% of Scottish sow herds have been lost since the beginning of 2026. NFUS further estimates that producers are currently losing between £700 and £1,000 per sow place this year, which could translate to losses of up to £500,000 for a typical 500-sow unit.
Scottish government figures for 2025 show a total pig population of 312,300, a 7.3% decrease compared to the five-year average. The number of breeding herd pigs, specifically, saw a 21% reduction against the five-year average, with 25,600 recorded.
A primary driver of the market instability is the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Spain, detected in November 2025. As the largest pig producer in Europe and a significant global exporter, Spain’s ASF outbreak has led to some international buyers halting imports of Spanish pork.
This has resulted in a substantial volume of Spanish pork being redirected into the European market, creating a significant oversupply and depressing prices across the continent. The excess supply, coupled with processing disruptions and seasonal plant constraints, has led to a backlog of animals and farmers producing at a considerable loss.
Andrew Connon, President of NFUS, described the situation as a “crisis” and “dire.” He stated:
“We are facing prices and market returns which are well below the cost of production and at the moment the financial situation for pig producers in Scotland is actually industry and business threatening.”
Connon highlighted that the UK adheres to some of the highest animal welfare standards in Europe, yet cheap imports are “flooding in” from the continent. While the UK government has implemented import restrictions on pork solely from the specific region in Spain where ASF was detected, NFUS is urging immediate assistance.
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The union is calling on the Scottish government for urgent support, encouraging retailers to prioritise Scottish produce, and appealing directly to consumers to choose Scottish pork on supermarket shelves.
A spokesperson for the Scottish government affirmed their commitment: “We have worked with the UK government and other devolved administrations on supply chain fairness regulations, designed to improve and create greater fairness in the agricultural supply chain which enable producers to raise concerns with the supply chain adjudicator if they feel they have been treated unfairly.”
“We will continue to work with NFUS and others across industry and rural communities to protect the sustainability of farming and food production in Scotland.”
