Part One - Supply Chain.
PIG FARMERS CRISIS FILM AS PART OF FIGHT FOR FAIRER PRICES
An Inconvenient Trough, a documentary series produced by a group of pig farmers from across the country, looks at the struggle the whole pig industry has faced over the past year due to rocketing feed prices.
The short series focuses on pig farmers’ fight for fairer prices and their battle to save Britain’s pig industry, which has some of the highest animal welfare standards in Europe.
About 70% of imported pork products do not meet the UK’s high welfare standards and as such would be illegal to produce here.
Over the past year the retail price of pork has risen by about £1.60p but only around 26p of this has reached farmers. At the height of the crisis pig producers were losing on average £26 per pig and the industry as a whole has lost over £150 million over the past year. Many pig farmers have faced the real possibility of going out of business and the UK breeding herd has shrunk by around 7%. This would have dramatically reduced the choice of consumers to buy high welfare pork, bacon, ham and sausages. Higher welfare pork, bacon, sausages and ham produced to these standards carries the Quality Standard Mark on pack.
An Inconvenient Trough shows farmers talking about their campaign for fair prices and their hopes for a recovery. Part one, launched today, focuses on the supply chain from farm to supermarkets and butchers. Part two, which looks at the food service sector and part three, which covers public sector purchasing of pork and pork products will be released on www.pigsareworthit.com next month.
The series includes contributions from nine pig farmers from across the country, plus Richard Bacon MP, Lord Hoyle of Warrington, and TV Chef, Phil Vickery, all long time supporters of the pig industry.
“It is a tongue in cheek title for a serious film and just shows the humour with which pig farmers have tried to face a very difficult year,” says Cameron Naughton a pig farmer from Wiltshire, who took part in the film. “One of the messages we’re really keen to get across is the higher welfare standards on UK farms compared with the rest of Europe. All pork, bacon, sausages and ham produced to these standards carries the Quality Standard Mark on pack. We’re calling on consumers to support high welfare production by looking for the Quality Standard Mark when shopping.”
“We know a lot of people are struggling financially at the moment, says Stephen Thompson, a pig farmer from South Yorkshire. “But it is worth remembering that pork is still great value and by looking for the Quality Standard Mark you can feed a family cheaply without compromising on animal welfare and quality. When I was out on the streets of Sheffield interviewing shoppers for the series the overwhelming message was that they were prepared to pay for high welfare pork, bacon, sausages and ham.”
“The issue is simple,” said Richard Longthorp from East Yorkshire, another of the farmers who took part in the film. “Prices have now risen but the industry has lost millions upon millions of pounds. More money still needs to pass down the chain to farmers. We’ve been running the Pigs Are Worth It! Campaign for over a year now and it has helped increase the price we receive but more is needed. But the most important thing to stress during the present global economic meltdown is that we’re not actually talking about higher prices for consumers, just a fairer share for pig farmers. This will mean that consumers will be able to continue to buy great tasting and great value Quality Standard Pork, Sausages, Ham and Bacon.”
“We recorded our own campaign song – Stand by Your Ham – which really helped raise awareness of our campaign,” says Kate Morgan who farms in East Yorkshire. “So we thought ‘why not make a film as well?’ We want to show people that we’re still under a lot of financial pressure. But we’re not just sitting moaning, we’re getting out there and doing something about it.”
Richard Bacon MP for South Norfolk appears in the series talking about his support for pig farmers. He says, “My message to pig farmers is: keep campaigning and keep pushing your case because it is a good case and it does need to be heard. Keep the focus on animal welfare standards and don't give up.”
The pig farmers behind the film are: Richard Longthorp, who farms in Nottinghamshire and East Yorkshire; Kate Morgan and Vicky Scott from East Yorkshire; Stephen Thompson from South Yorkshire; Alistair Butler from Suffolk; Tom Allen from Oxfordshire; Stuart Mayhew from Norfolk and Cameron and Muriel Naughton from Wiltshire.
