Industrial-sized pig and chicken farming continuing to rise in UK

Number of large-scale, intensive farms with upwards of 40,000 birds or 2,000 pigs is increasing, driven by demand for cheap meat

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New figures reveal that the number of large industrial-sized pig and chicken farms in the UK continues to rise, with close to 2,000 across the country.

In 2017, the then environment secretary Michael Gove told MPs: "One thing is clear: I do not want to see, and we will not have, US-style farming in this country." However, the number of industrial-sized pig and poultry units in the UK has risen by 7% from 1,669 in 2017 to 1,786 this year.