Faced with plunging prices, British pig producers are finding good news thin on the ground, so the news this week that discounter Lidl has joined the National Pig Association’s ‘hundred percenters club’ has proved a welcome boost to morale.

Lidl is stocking 100 percent British pork in its UK stores, which has been welcomed by farmers’ groups. Lidl joins Aldi, Budgens, Co-op, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Waitrose as other ‘hundred percenters’.

“We’re delighted with this news and hope Lidl will demonstrate over the months ahead that it isn’t a flash in the pan,” said NPA chair Richard Lister, a North Yorkshire pig producer.

Many British pig producers are now barely breaking even and some are running at a loss, as a result of falling prices throughout the year, culminating in particularly sharp drops over the past few weeks.

A year ago the Standard Pig Price, as calculated by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board from abattoir returns, stood at 151p and today it is down to below 128p. AHDB calculates, taking all costs into consideration, that current break-even price for producers is 139p.

NPA’s latest Porkwatch survey revealed British shelf-facings are broadly holding steady, with slight declines in fresh pork and bacon.