Unethical practices at Cranswick's farms lead to a £150 million drop in the company's value, as reported by The Mail in a second investigation.
A series of investigations into animal cruelty at Cranswick farms in Lincolnshire, UK, has raised concerns about systemic issues within the company's farming practices. The latest investigation at Somerby Top Farm, revealed by The Mail on Sunday, shows workers hitting pigs with boards, paddles, and their fists.
This is not the first time such allegations have surfaced against Cranswick. In May, The Mail on Sunday exposed animal abuse at Northmoor Farm, also in Lincolnshire, where farm workers were seen killing piglets if they were not growing fast enough to be profitable. The footage, filmed by the Animal Justice Project, documented severe mistreatment of pigs, including kicking and hitting of piglets.
Following the initial investigation, major UK supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, and Morrisons cut ties with Somerby Top Farm. However, these supermarkets are still sourcing meat from other farms owned by Cranswick.
Cranswick, which manages around 900,000 pigs and supplies major UK supermarkets, responded by apologizing, changing farm management, terminating the employees involved, hiring new welfare officers, and retraining staff with a strong focus on animal health and welfare. They also started installing AI-enabled CCTV to better monitor conditions in real time.
Despite these remedial actions, the repeated incidents suggest a disturbing pattern rather than isolated events. The Animal Justice Project described conditions as highly stressful and unnatural for the pigs, leading to psychological distress and aggressive behavior among the animals. The Red Tractor assurance body suspended certification for the implicated farms and launched an investigation.
Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, stated that the controversies could signal a deeper problem with policy implementation. The share price slump in early trading wiped £155million off the value of Cranswick, and the shares clawed back some of the losses to close down 0.8%.
One particularly distressing incident in the new footage from Somerby Top Farm shows a piglet left dying for 33 hours as other piglets cannibalized an open wound. The new footage deliberately targets areas such as pigs' snouts and eyes.
Cranswick has suspended workers at Somerby Top Farm and is conducting an 'urgent and thorough investigation'. The spokesman for Cranswick apologized unreservedly for the lapse in their standards in the new footage.
This is the third time in 2022 that The Mail on Sunday has exposed animal abuse at one of Cranswick's suppliers. Investigations and reviews by third parties are ongoing to address and prevent future abuses.
[1] The Mail on Sunday - [Link to the article] [2] The Guardian - [Link to the article] [3] BBC News - [Link to the article]
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