Large-scale poultry and pig farms rising in UK
21 April 2020
The Guardian reports that the number of large industrial farms with over 40,000 birds or 2,000 pigs has risen 7% to 1,786 facilities in the UK since 2017. In particular, England has observed a 7% increase to 1,313 large-scale farms (1,092 poultry farms and 221 pig farms), Scotland has seen a rise of 10%, while Wales has experienced the highest rise of 21% in the number of intensive poultry and pig farms since 2017. Meanwhile, there has been no change in the Northern Ireland’s figures within the same period of time. The recent developments like Brexit and new trade deals raise public concerns about further intensification of livestock farming countrywide, considering that local farmers will be forced to stay competitive against cheap, low-welfare imports.