KFC Australia puts cabbage in burgers as lettuce shortage bites itv.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from itv.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
If the disease reaches these shores it could also lead to the valuable Chinese pig meat market being shut off to the UK at a time when the industry needs all the help it can get in finding markets for pig meat, he warned.
At the same time, the cost of feed and bedding has soared, with cereal, protein and straw prices all adding to pig producers’ woes.
It means the cost of production is now running at an estimated 20p to 30p/kg behind pig meat values, he said.
“The recent Arctic weather conditions and the prospect of more climate-related challenges to come, especially during periods of extremely wet weather are all adding to the psychological and financial challenges currently hitting the industry,” he added.