Now is the time to save British pig farming- Bowles (North Thanet Liberal Democrats)

North Thanet Liberal Democrats <info@north-thanetlibdems.org.uk>

Now is the time to save British pig farming- Bowles

February 4, 2009 10:30 AM
Originally published by Sharon Bowles MEP

Sharon Bowles MEP and PPC for Mid-Sussex, Serena Tierney, supporting local pig farming Following Jamie Oliver's high-profile campaign to save the British Pig industry, Sharon says now is the time to support the West Sussex pig farms.

Over the past ten years the number of pigs bred in the UK has halved. British pig farmers have faced competition from cheaper imports coming from countries with lower welfare standards. Foot and mouth disease, though not infecting pigs, also severely impacted on transportation and reputation of British meat.

Now the high-profile campaigning of celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, has brought Britain's struggling pig farmers to the nation's attention.

Sharon, says that we must heed the message of Jamie's campaign and support British reared meat.

Commenting, Sharon explained:

"Since 'Jamie Saves our Bacon' was aired on Channel 4 last week, several supermarkets have recorded increased sales in British pork. This shows that people clearly care about the origin and quality of their food.

"In the UK we have the highest standards of animal husbandry and this is an issue people care about. We have pressed to get EU regulations to improve animal welfare, but it is always a struggle to get them through and often then they are less than the UK already does or are delayed for several years before becoming compulsory.

"70% of all pork products sold in the UK contains pork that would be illegal if it had been farmed in the UK. Sometimes it is easy to be fooled. If is says British cured, that does not mean British reared. So labels have to be read carefully.

"One way to get more certainty, and cut down on food miles as well is to support local farming. If there is not a section for local produce in your supermarket, ask for one - help save the British pork industry; buy local!"