Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

The Department for The Environment, Food And Rural Affairs, East, (Defra) is endorsing the Undergrazing Programming Group (UPG), while the Bedfordshire-based British Pig Executive (BPEX) is to provide £1m to launch a new Quality Standard Mark to help consumers distinguish between British produce and imports.

The livestock industry has been hit by a combination of factors including increasing imports, a decline in local abattoirs, consolidation in meat processing and retailing and changes in the way support payments are paid under the Common Agricultural Policy.

UPG is a partnership between farmers, landowners, conservationists and Defra. It wants to halt the trend of farmers leaving livestock production and is being launched with funding from the regional Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food.

It aims to offer practical help for livestock farmers to increase their profitability. Planned activities include training courses, support for local abattoirs and cutting plants, action plans for small environmental sites and closer co-operation between farmers and conservationists.

UPG will be chaired by local campaigner, Lady Caroline Cranbrook. She said: “Biodiversity in the region’s grassland and in most of our wildlife reserves depends on regular grazing. Such diverse habitats as the Ouse Washes, the Breckland, the coastal and river valley grasslands of Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex, along with myriads of small nature reserves all have to be regularly grazed by livestock to maintain their wildlife.

The project will culminate with the launch of a farmer’s toolkit to help land managers identify opportunities for their livestock businesses through adding value, reducing costs or developing co-operatives.

Michael Mack, project manager for Defra, said: “Our beef and sheep industry is small but it is critically important to the correct management of the region’s grassland. The recent decline in cattle and sheep numbers and the diminishing infrastructure on which the industry depends is creating increasing environmental and economic problems for the region.

“The partner organisations involved with the project have committed funding and time which complements the support offered through the regional Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food. This commitment and cooperation helps to illustrate the extent and complexity of this problem.”

The partnership includes: Country Land and Business Association; English Beef and Lamb Executive; English Nature; Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group; National Farmers Union; Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; Rural Development Service; Defra; and Suffolk Agricul-tural Association.

The new mark for pork will appear on packs from January and incorporates the Union Jack to identify clearly home produced pork, bacon and ham.

A study by the British Pig Executive (BPEX) has shown two thirds of imported pork, bacon and ham do not meet UK minimum standards and would be illegal to produce in this country. BPEX is keen to encourage retailers to stock more produce which meets UK standards.

Legislation banning the use of stalls and tethers in pig farming came into force in 1999. However, they are still used in many other EU countries which means supermarkets can source cheaper pork, bacon and ham produced by EU farmers with welfare practices that would not be acceptable in the UK.

A recent survey showed that British consumers back the Government’s stand on welfare where 92 per cent agreed that imported meat should be produced to UK minimum standards. Despite this government and public concern, more than 50 per cent of all pork bacon and ham on supermarket shelves is now imported, a figure which rose by 14 per cent in 2003.

BPEX CEO, Mick Sloyan said: “Pig farmers in this country are being put at a very real disadvantage as more and more supermarket shelves are being filled up with cheaper imports that would be illegal to produce in this country. But this is not an anti-import campaign. Imported products can carry the Quality Standard Mark if they meet UK standards, sadly most do not.

“We are simply trying to make consumers aware of this issue. The Quality Standard Mark gives them clear, simple information they need to make an informed choice.”