Pork Pricing
On 5th March, The Independent reported on several hundred pig farmers travelling to London to present a petition at Downing Street to demand support for their trade in the wake of plummeting pork prices. The article states that whilst consumers have plenty of cheap bacon, the effect of these increasingly low prices is huge numbers of pig farmers leaving the industry.
Response from Dean McKenna, Head of UK supply Chain at McDonald’s
"We are committed to supporting UK agriculture and have recently increased the price we pay to our pork suppliers in the wake of the issues facing the livestock farming industry, and in particular the recent news on pig farming. McDonald’s now pays five per cent more for the pork we use and this increase will be passed directly on to the British farmers that supply us.
"British farming currently faces arguably its most challenging period for many years and there is little doubt that, at current prices, pig farmers cannot make a return on their animals. We hope this combination of measures will help relieve some immediate pressures and provide stability going forward."
Comments from Anthony Gibson, Director of Communications, National Farmers' Unionll
"This is a very welcome gesture of support from an important customer for British meat at a time of great difficulty for the pig farming industry. We shall be monitoring the prices paid to farmers by McDonald's supplying abattoirs to verify that the increase earmarked for farmers is actually received by them, and we would expect McDonald's to take their own steps to ensure that happens."
