ABOUT half of all pig farms in North and East Yorkshire could be affected by a virus which is killing piglets.

The extent of the disaster was revealed today after a leading East Yorkshire farmer ordered the slaughter of his entire herd of 1,400 sows because of PMWS Post-weaning Multi-systemic Wasting Syndrome.

Industry leaders fear that as pig prices increase with yesterday's resumption of sow meat exports to Europe following the foot and mouth crisis, many farmers will take the chance to get out of their crisis-hit industry.

John Rowbottom, a leading figure in the campaign to save Britain's struggling pig sector, announced to nine of his workers that he was selling his entire herd at Melrose Farm, Melbourne, for commercial slaughter.

At least five staff face losing their jobs, although a second herd at Mr Rowbottom's farm in Bridlington is healthy.

The virus does not affect the health of the sows or humans who eat them, but is passed on to piglets which have up to 35 per cent more chance of dying at between eight and ten kilograms - well before they attain full bacon weight of 90 kilos.

Mr Rowbottom is an organiser of the British Pig Industry Support Group, which has vigorously campaigned for more Government help to combat the virus.

He said: "The disease is virtually endemic and we have it worse than most. We have not been making money.

"We used to have the financial resources to continue but over the past four years the pig herd has suffered one catastrophe after another."

Apart from spending £150,000 to meet the ban by the British Government on sow stalls three years ahead of Europe's he had to tackle the prospect of swine fever, a strong pound in export markets and, more recently, foot and mouth.

Mr Rowbottom, who is hopeful that he can rebuild his herd at Melrose Farm, said that there was no good moment to sell them all for slaughter. But with exports of cull sows resumed, carcass price had now risen from about £40 to more than £60.

Stewart Houston, the North Yorkshire-based head of the national producers group of the National Pig Association, warned: "These prices will have an effect on pig farmers' judgement and could be the trigger for some to get out of the industry."

The last survey indicated that 20 per cent of all pig farms were affected by PMWS. "DEFRA is planning another survey, but I anticipate that 50 per cent of all farms in North and East Yorkshire are affected by this virus syndrome, for which there is no known cure," he added.

* PMWS first arrived in Europe from the US in 1995 and is also serious in Spain and France, where a pharmaceutical company is working on the prospect of a vaccine.

The effect of the virus became especially acute in Britain when swine fever and restrictions on animal movement meant overstocking and overcrowding. The same problems have now arisen in the wake of foot and mouth restrictions.

Updated: 08:22 Friday, November 02, 2001