Jimmy Doherty said cutting pig numbers was key to survival

Jimmy Doherty, the subject of BBC documentary Jimmy's Farm, said shops and customers need to be prepared to pay more for meat.

The farmer, based at Wherstead near Ipswich, said his feed costs had gone from �130 to �225 a tonne.

He said unless cuts were made he faced losing the business.

'Sad day'

However, Mr Doherty, who is friends with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, said that he would keep a number of breeding sows.

"We've had to reduce our herd because our feed prices have gone from �130 to �225 a tonne, so we have to keep our overheads down.

"It won't go completely but we have to reduce it down so our business can survive.

"It's about four and a half or five years' work that I have had to cut in half and so it's a sad day.