UK pork prices likely to rise due to Russia-Ukraine conflict, says minister
The price of food including pork is likely to rise significantly as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a UK environment minister has warned.
Victoria Prentis, the Defra minister responsible for farming, also suggested Britons may want to stop buying Russian white fish, which makes up about a third of the volume consumed in the UK.
Prentis warned that British people would have to become more willing to pay premium prices for quality food produced domestically.
Speaking at the launch of the Conservative Environment Network’s Green Albion essay collection, she said: “I’ve been having really important meetings with the fishing industry. Thirty per cent of our white fish, for example, is imported from Russia. Get real, guys.”
The minister told the Guardian further sanctions were being considered that could affect the fishing industry, but suggested consumers boycott the Russian fish. She said: “For now, do we really want to be buying Russian fish?”
Prior to the invasion, Prentis had been mostly focused on the cost of living crisis as well as the shift to more environmentally friendly farming, implementing the environmental land management schemes (Elms) which would have farmers paid subsidies for improving biodiversity and nature on their land.
However, she has found herself dealing with potential supply-chain failures as a result of the war. “I am going to dial down the optimism because we are in the middle of the most extraordinary series of world events,” she said.
As an example of how the events in Europe could drive up prices, the minister said: “I’ve been talking to the pig industry – a very, very difficult supply chain at all levels – are we prepared to buy more British high-welfare pigs? We will have to pay more.”
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