Pig producers have warned the Northern Ireland Executive that more must be done to tackle a 'growing crisis' on pig farms across the region.
A meeting with DAERA farming minister Edwin Poots and the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) this week highlighted the financial pressure farmers currently face.
Labour shortages in processing plants, soaring input costs and depressed market conditions have resulted in severe financial pressures on farms.
Pig producers in Northern Ireland have benefited from two tranches of funding provided as a result of Covid-related export problems last year.
But the UFU pork and bacon chair, Glenn Cuddy said farmers in the region were still facing 'unprecedented times'.
Trading conditions were 'already difficult' with costs of production exceeding the market price of pigs.
While labour shortages in processing plants had taken these issues to 'another level'.
"Our members have been unable to move all of their pigs to slaughter over recent months," Mr Cuddy said.
"This creates a significant backlog on farms, taking a huge slice out of cashflows. This is unsustainable.”
The UFU said this was being made even worse by a weakening market for cull sows.
The union warned that this was piling pressure on farmers already in a difficult financial situation.
“If things are not resolved quickly, it will create even more chaos for farmers and processors," Mr Cuddy added.
"Action is needed now, or farmers could be out of business in the very near future.”
It comes after Defra agreed on Thursday to convene an emergency summit of the entire pig supply chain as the sector's crisis deepens.
The National Pig Association and the NFU had issued a plea to Defra to get the pig supply chain together to find urgent solutions.
The pig backlog is now estimated to be well in excess of 170,000 due to a lack of butchers in pork processing plants, as a result of the pandemic and Brexit.
