NPA response to reports of CO2 and food shortages
16th Apr 2026 / By Tom Haynes
Responding to media reports on CO2 and food shortages, NPA chief executive Lizzie Wilson said:
“As pig production is a continuous business, any disruption to the slaughtering and processing can have huge ramifications on farm with pigs unable to move through the supply chain. For farmers specifically, they will need to house and feed constantly growing pigs at a time when input prices are increasing, and the price paid for their pigs is falling.
“We currently have a significant number of pigs already backed up on farm as a result of abattoir issues at the end of last year. We are concerned that the ongoing war in the Middle East could exacerbate this situation further. If the production and therefore availability of CO2 is restricted, we would expect this to impact supply and result in difficulties moving pigs off farm, with potential welfare implications. It is positive to see that CO2 supply has been considered across the food and drink industries and by Defra in the last 12 months, and we welcome plans for the temporary re-opening of the Ensus bioethanol plant. We continue to call for the meat processing sector to be prioritised in the event of any future CO2 shortages.”
For more information, email: npa@npanet.org.uk