Tesco to pay out more to pig farmers as industry warns of ‘critical’ situation

The NPA has said there are 100,000 pigs stuck on farms that should have gone to slaughter, with farmers losing in excess of £50 a pig. Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

Tesco is to hand pig farmers £6.6m in additional support, taking the total to £10m, after warnings that a slew of producers could go out of business.

The UK’s biggest supermarket said farmers would get £6.6m until August on top of £3.4m handed out since March under an “accelerated and enhanced payment plan”, after being criticised for not paying a “fair price” for its pork.