Nineteen European Union countries have sought assistance from Brussels to address the crisis in the pig sector, blaming the drop in demand in China and Covid-19 for the sharp decrease in prices. The situation is worsened by an increase in production and a decrease in exports to China, leading to the lowest margins in the pig meat industry in the EU in the past decade. The industry also faces high production costs due to the highest feed prices in a decade. The countries are advocating for the activation of exceptional market measures by the Commission to aid producers.