UK pigs sent to EU for processing

According to the British MEAT Processors Association (BMPA), an ongoing labor shortage has led meat producers to send cattle to Ireland for butchering. The processed carcasses are then shipped back to the UK, resulting in additional fees and customs clearance costs of £1,500 per truckload, BMPA told the BBC.

Pork producers are expected to start sending pigs to the Netherlands for butchering. The National Pig Breeders Association said 10,000 animals have been slaughtered so far due to a lack of personnel in slaughterhouses and meat processing plants. The number of employees in the industry is currently reduced by about 15%.

The UK government announced last month that it would allow 800 butchers to enter the country for up to six months under a seasonal work visa scheme, as well as a private storage assistance program to support pig farming.

Nick Allen, chief executive of the BMPA, told the Financial Times that carcass exports are "what needs to be done to counteract the shortage of workers."

He also added: “Immigration rules need to be relaxed so that we can recruit experienced people without wasting time training them. We also need to attract, hire and train people in the UK.”