8 March 2011
MP for the Cotswold Geoffrey Clifton-Brown joined local pig farmers outside Downing Street on Thursday 3 March to raise awareness of a growing crisis facing the UK pig farming industry and call on supermarkets to pay a fair price for high welfare British bacon.
Farmers’ costs have sky-rocketed as the price of the wheat they feed their pigs has nearly doubled in the last five months. However, supermarkets aren’t willing to pay more for high welfare British pigs and so farmers now lose a crippling average of £21 on every pig they produce.
Mr Clifton-Brown said: “Pig farming makes a valuable economic and social contribution to the Cotswolds and the South West, including jobs for local people. My constituents should not be denied the opportunity to buy high welfare local British pork, and so I am calling on supermarkets today to pay a fair price to our farmers.”
Local farmer James Hart said: “Thousands of people across the country have signed the petition at pigsareworthit.com calling on supermarkets to pay a fair price for our pigs. The UK has the highest standards of animal welfare and people like to know where their meat is coming from and that is has been produced under humane and caring conditions. We have shared some of our personal stories on the Pigs Are Still Worth It website – http://www.pigsareworthit.com ”
“British pig farmers cannot keep producing at a loss of £10 a pig. If people want to have British pork in the future they need to always ask for British when they shop. That is the only guarantee of high welfare standards. Supermarkets make a margin on the pork that they sell but do not pass it back down the chain. If you insist on British then they will have to support us and thereby ensure the future availability of British pork.”
Hundreds of pig producers met MPs outside Downing Street and presented a petition to the Prime Minister signed by several thousand people. The petition calls on the Government to put pressure on supermarkets who refuse to pay farmers a fair price for the pigs they produce.
The rally was part of the national Pigs Are Still Worth It! Campaign organised by the National Pig Association, which represents pig farmers and producers.
General Manager of the National Pig Association, Barney Kay said, “British supermarkets are making huge profits and need to wake up to the threat the industry faces. They cannot keep paying farmers such a low price whilst creaming off such large profits for themselves.
British pig farmers observe some of the highest standards of animal welfare in the world - something they are proud of and will not compromise on. Some supermarkets are still buying cheaper imports produced to much lower welfare standards, despite previous commitments not to do so.”
Photo: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP with local farmer James Hart calling for a fair price from supermarkets for pig farmers
Farmers’ costs have sky-rocketed as the price of the wheat they feed their pigs has nearly doubled in the last five months. However, supermarkets aren’t willing to pay more for high welfare British pigs and so farmers now lose a crippling average of £21 on every pig they produce.
Mr Clifton-Brown said: “Pig farming makes a valuable economic and social contribution to the Cotswolds and the South West, including jobs for local people. My constituents should not be denied the opportunity to buy high welfare local British pork, and so I am calling on supermarkets today to pay a fair price to our farmers.”
Local farmer James Hart said: “Thousands of people across the country have signed the petition at pigsareworthit.com calling on supermarkets to pay a fair price for our pigs. The UK has the highest standards of animal welfare and people like to know where their meat is coming from and that is has been produced under humane and caring conditions. We have shared some of our personal stories on the Pigs Are Still Worth It website – http://www.pigsareworthit.com ”
“British pig farmers cannot keep producing at a loss of £10 a pig. If people want to have British pork in the future they need to always ask for British when they shop. That is the only guarantee of high welfare standards. Supermarkets make a margin on the pork that they sell but do not pass it back down the chain. If you insist on British then they will have to support us and thereby ensure the future availability of British pork.”
Hundreds of pig producers met MPs outside Downing Street and presented a petition to the Prime Minister signed by several thousand people. The petition calls on the Government to put pressure on supermarkets who refuse to pay farmers a fair price for the pigs they produce.
The rally was part of the national Pigs Are Still Worth It! Campaign organised by the National Pig Association, which represents pig farmers and producers.
General Manager of the National Pig Association, Barney Kay said, “British supermarkets are making huge profits and need to wake up to the threat the industry faces. They cannot keep paying farmers such a low price whilst creaming off such large profits for themselves.
British pig farmers observe some of the highest standards of animal welfare in the world - something they are proud of and will not compromise on. Some supermarkets are still buying cheaper imports produced to much lower welfare standards, despite previous commitments not to do so.”
Photo: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP with local farmer James Hart calling for a fair price from supermarkets for pig farmers
