The National Pig Association's 'GammonWatch' was launched last week and already it's becoming clear from member surveys the situation is far worse than was feared.
Most retailers are offering very little British gammon this Christmas, even though there is an abundance of high-welfare, traceable, quality-assured domestic product available, with some stocking no British at all.
GammonWatch will be surveying supermarkets all over the country between now and Christmas.
The NPA will issue regular bulletins to consumers on which retailers are supporting British pig farmers, in line with their post-Horsegate promises — and which are piling their shelves high with cheap imported product.
This week member reports on gammon shelf-facings showed:
ASDA
At Gillingham there were nine shelf-facings for imported gammon. There were two British shelf-facings, but only one actual joint behind each, meaning there were only two British gammon joints in the whole store.
TESCO
Zero British at Redruth; zero British at Selby; only one British shelf-facing at Market Rasen, compared to five imported; only three British shelf-facings, but 21 imported at Goole.
SAINSBURY'S
Only two British at Selby, but 18 imported; only three British at Hermstead Valley, but nine imported.
MORRISONS
Zero British at Selby, compared to 13 imported shelf-facings; five British at Goole, but 24 imported.
ALDI and LIDL
Zero British facings at Aldi Selby. Only one British at Lidl Stowmarket, but four imported.
These disconcerting statistics come at a time when British pig producers are sliding deeper into the red and their share of the retail price of pork has fallen to its lowest level in 11 years.
So far NPA has identified only three British gammon heroes (based on September data):
• M&S (100 percent)
• Waitrose (100 percent)
• Co-op (81 percent)
Retailers that support Britain’s high-welfare pig farmers by offering a good choice of British gammon this Christmas will be publicly commended by pig farmers — but those that have put in a bulk Christmas order from countries with lower animal welfare standards, or that offer misleadingly labelled gammons, will be named and shamed.
