British slaughterhouses have started temporarily relocating part of their work to Ireland and possibly also to the Netherlands. Due to a severe staff shortage, they need to transfer pig carcasses to EU countries for cutting and further processing.
The outsourcing to Ireland has already begun, and a decision regarding the Netherlands is expected soon, said a British official. The meat then has to be re-imported by the British. This alleviates the problem but means it is no longer “British pork” on British store shelves.
Due to the coronavirus crisis, Brexit, export problems, and barely any exports to China, the United Kingdom has been facing a surplus of pigs for some time. According to the pig industry, pig farmers have already had tens of thousands of healthy pigs culled due to lack of space in the barns and lack of processing capacity in slaughterhouses. There are 10,000 to 12,000 job vacancies there.
The measure also has financial consequences. To cover the additional transport costs and customs formalities, producers must pay £1,500 per truck.
To address the severe staff shortage, the British government recently expanded the visa scheme for seasonal workers. Slaughterhouses are allowed to recruit 800 foreign workers. Due to Brexit, workers from other EU countries lost their British work permits and had to leave the country.
The sector also calls this a drop in the ocean. “It takes 18 months or longer to train these people,” said Nick Allen of the British Meat Processors Association.