UK pig industry review announced as 200,000 animals stranded on farms

Pigs are backing up on farms because of a lack of staff at the abattoirs where they are slaughtered. Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

The government has announced an immediate review of fairness in the pig industry supply chain and has promised to look into pig contracts in response to a worsening crisis in the sector, as an estimated 200,000 pigs are backed up on farms and cannot be taken to slaughter.

The farming minister Victoria Prentis made the announcement following a summit with pig producers on Thursday to discuss ways to solve the continuing crisis in domestic pig production.