Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the challenges facing the British pig industry; and what steps the Government is taking to support pig farmers in the Torridge and West Devon constituency.

I am very much aware that the pig sector is currently facing a number of challenges due to Covid-19 and global trading conditions. I will be hosting a roundtable with key industry stakeholders to discuss these challenges and will continue to work with the pig industry to address them.

The Government has made available financial assistance via a number of Covid-19 HM Treasury schemes. These can be accessed by the pig sector and we encourage companies impacted by Covid-19, including those in Torridge and West Devon, to investigate if any of these schemes are appropriate for their needs.