The National Pig Association has said that Tulip's decision to drop its headline 'shout' price by ' 3p a kilo at a time when shoppers are demanding wholesome British meat, rather than anonymous imported meat, is a slap in the face for the UK's loss-making pig farmers.
Tulip, which is owned by international meat giant Danish Crown, has pulled the rug from its British suppliers just as the market was beginning to recover from its quiet post-Christmas period, said NPA.
NPA plans to appeal directly to retailers and consumers to resist any moves by large processors to prop up their handsome profit margins by importing more cheap product from the continent. It says the move by Tulip is particularly devastating because it is Britain's largest pork processor and other processors usually follow its lead on price.
In a press statement to be released later today, NPA says it will draw attention to the current 'Horsegate' scandal and will stress the importance shoppers are currently attaching to high quality British meat which can be traced back to its farms of origin.
The NPA also said Tulip's decision last night to drop its headline price by 3p a kilo will plunge many British pig farmers deeper into the red as they struggle to compete against cheap lower-welfare imports, some from illegal farms.
The move is particularly vexing for the British pig industry because it comes at a time when the European pig price is starting to rally. There are strong signs today that the price of continental manufacturing pork is rising significantly.
But by dropping its shout price by such a large amount today, Tulip has delayed the prospects of a similar recovery in Britain, says NPA.
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.