Tesco Expands Pig Farming Programme with Additional £2 Million Support

Tesco has expanded its Sustainable Pig Group programme by nearly 30 percent, providing an extra £2 million each year to support British pig farmers.

The retailer said the initiative is expected to be worth more than £670 million during its first three years. The expansion comes as Tesco records a 20 percent increase in sales of British pig meat compared with the previous year, with British pork now making up 65 percent of its pig meat sales.

Following the expansion, the programme supplies 23 percent of Tesco’s British pork and 15 percent of its total pig meat supply. It now provides all pork for the Tesco Finest fresh pork range, with plans to extend production to cover all core fresh pork products and sausages within two years.

The programme, relaunched last year with supplier Cranswick, has also added pork supplier Sofina to its network.

Participating farmers receive long-term contracts and a pricing system linked to production costs and market conditions, helping to reduce the impact of market fluctuations.

Tesco said the programme also promotes higher animal welfare and sustainability standards. More than 80 percent of pigs in the scheme are raised under higher welfare systems, while farmers monitor carbon emissions to help reduce environmental impact.

Industry partners said the expansion will give farmers greater confidence and support investment in sustainable farming practices.