Bacon Shortage Is Inevitable, Warns National Pig Association

A sad day is coming. The world will soon have to do without bacon. Yes, the world may soon be forced tosay goodbye to 100% bacon burgers, bacon milkshakes, and bacon bras.

The Huffington Post reports that Great Britain is in the middle of a bacon crisis and the problem could soon go global. The UK’s National Pig Association warned today that a “world shortage of pork and bacon next year is now unavoidable.”

The organization writes:

“New data shows the European Union pig herd is declining at a significant rate, and this is a trend that is being mirrored around the world. Pig farmers have been plunged into loss by high pig-feed costs, caused by the global failure of maize and soya harvests. All main European pig-producing countries report shrinking sow herds.”

Extreme heat in North America is partially responsible for the bacon crisis. Farmers across the country have had to raise crop prices due to that drought and that has caused the price for animals like pig to skyrocket.

Some farmers have resorted to supplementing their cattle feed with candy in order to keep costs down. The USDA estimated earlier this year that the drought would cause food prices to rise nearly 4% next year.

Richard Volpe, a USDA economist, said:

“The drought is really going to hit food prices next year. It’s already affecting corn and soybean prices, but then it has to work its way all the way through the system into feed prices and then animal prices, then wholesale prices and then finally, retail prices.”