East Anglia's pig farmers have welcomed the government's commitment to regulate contracts to repair a "broken pork supply chain".
Defra says the move will "help to bring stability and security to the pig supply chain", which has been hit hard by crippling costs and labour issues - forcing two years of financial losses.
It says it will develop regulations to ensure written agreements are used between all producers and their buyers, and also to collect and share more supply chain data, particularly in relation to wholesale price transparency and national slaughter numbers.
It follows a public consultation last year, which received nearly 400 responses from across the supply chain.
The National Pig Association (NPA) said the government had addressed the majority of its key demands for the sector, which is an important part of East Anglia's farming economy.
North Norfolk farmer and NPA chairman Rob Mutimer said: "We are very pleased that Defra has taken on board the very clear messages from the NPA and the wider industry about what needs to be done to fix our broken supply chain.
"For too long, producers have been treated poorly and contracts have not been worth the paper they were written on – and we have seen some disastrous consequences of that behaviour over the past two years.
"We believe the measures set out today, including legal underpinning for contracts that deliver a fair, transparent and negotiable contract system, will help deliver a fairer and more sustainable environment for pig producers."
Farming minister Mark Spencer said: "The pig sector has faced unprecedented challenges over the last year, with rising costs and global labour shortages putting real pressure on producers and processors.
"We are committed to working with the sector, and the regulations set to be introduced will ensure fairness and transparency across the supply chain – from pig to pork to plate – to help the sector to thrive in the future."
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