A grocery retailer has urged more supermarkets to supply more British pork after announcing a £19m investment to help struggling pig farmers.

The Co-op, which moved to 100pc British fresh pork five years ago, has called on other retailers to shift their sourcing policies towards home-grown produce.

It comes as farmers face estimated losses of £50 per pig as production costs soar due to record animal feed prices, driven by rising wheat prices caused by factors including the war in Ukraine and drought in India.

Many supermarkets have pledged to support struggling pig farmers with additional payments - including the Co-op, which is investing £19m in a new pricing model, using the cost of production to determine the amount paid to farmers rather than the market price for pigs.

Matt Hood, co-managing director of Co-op Food, said: “Some of the support for the sector is too little but it’s not too late for supermarkets to do their bit to help more British farmers.

"Switching to UK produced pork is the strongest commitment retailers can give to UK farmers at a time when the sector is experiencing unprecedented spiralling costs.

"We know that this is an incredibly challenging time for UK pig farmers, and that we have an important part to play in supporting the industry."

Norfolk farmer Rob Mutimer, who is chairman of the National Pig Association (NPA), welcomed the announcement, adding: “Most of the big retailers have now acted in some way to inject more money into the supply chain.

"But while the price increases are very welcome, with wheat having reached £350 per tonne this week, they are still not matching soaring input costs.

"The reality is that our beleaguered pig producers remain under huge pressure and, in many cases, are battling just to survive from week to week. We still need to see more from some retailers.

"As our industry fights for survival, we urge all the big supermarket chains to always prioritise British pork where they can.”