Cameron joins campaign to save British Bacon

Cameron joins campaign to save British Bacon

Prime Minister David Cameron and home secretary Theresa May, along with other MPs and MEPs, have pledged their support for British pig farmers’ Save Our Bacon campaign.

“I am delighted to be able to support the Save Our Bacon campaign,” said Cameron in a message of support to the industry.

Home secretary, Theresa May, said in her message: “British pig farms can be rightfully proud of the high quality and high welfare pork and pork products they produce. Ministers welcome the chance to encourage people to support these standards and buy pig products endorsed with the Red Tractor logo.”

As feed accounts for 65% of the cost of raising a bacon pig, Britain’s pig producers are operating at a loss, and the NPA fears production could be down by as much as 10% by Christmas.

“Pig farmers don’t have the benefit of European subsidies,” said pig producer Richard Longthorp, chairman of National Pig Association which is running the Save Our Bacon campaign.

“So we can only survive these exceptional costs if the large supermarkets choose to pay us a fair price as a matter of urgency – and for that to happen we need shoppers to make a special effort to demonstrate their support for high welfare British bacon, sausages and pork.”

In his message of support, Cameron said: “I am keenly aware of the problems currently affecting pig producers largely because of the increase in grain prices over the last few months.

“I welcome the chance to encourage people to support and buy the high quality and high welfare British pork products, which are endorsed with the Red Tractor logo.” Theresa May said that whilst Government cannot set the prices that farmers receive, “We welcome the Save Our Bacon campaign.”

Other government figures who have publicly pledged their support for National Pig Association’s Save Our Bacon campaign include natural environment minister Richard Benyon, health minister Anna Soubry, culture minister Ed Vaizey, Scotland minister David Mundell and local government minister Eric Pickles.

“We asked our members to contact their MPs about the campaign and the response has been quite remarkable,” said National Pig Association general manager Dr Zoe Davies.

“At a time when many pig producers simply don’t know if they can hang on until they get a fair price to cover their increased costs of production, the support of so many leading figures in British politics has been an incredible boost to their morale.”

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