Tesco is 'retreating from British pork' despite horse-gate pledges, says Pig Association

Despite its post-Horsegate promise to customers to stock more British meat, Tesco is retreating from British fresh pork, according to the National Pig Association.

This news comes at a time when farm-gate prices are falling steadily and pig farmers most need the support of Britain's biggest retailer.

The 64,000-dollar question for Britain's pig farmers is this: is Tesco's retreat part of a deliberate trend... or is it merely a temporary aberration?

According to the pig industry's latest PorkWatch survey Tesco was down across the board last month, displaying fewer lines of British pork, bacon, ham and sausages, compared to PorkWatch in September.

When it comes to supporting British pig farmers, Tesco and Asda have now been overhauled by hard discounters Aldi and Lidl, both selling 100 percent fresh British pork.

Like Tesco, Asda was down on British fresh pork in November. And although it was up on sausages and significantly up on bacon, it remains a worse performer than Tesco, when it comes to supporting British pork and pork products.

As a result of reduced commitment to Britain's high-welfare pig farmers by Tesco and Asda, this month's PorkWatch survey shows displays of British fresh pork down 2 percent overall, compared to September, and down 3 percent compared to this time last year.

PorkWatch surveys are carried out every other month by a team of professionals on behalf of British pig farmers. The surveys measure British shelf-facings versus imported facings.

But despite Tesco and Asda's move to stock more imported pork, it isn't all gloom on the retailer front — as NPA's "hundred-percenters" have remained wholly committed to selling 100 percent British fresh pork.

RosetteNPA's fresh British pork hundred-percenters are:

• Aldi

• Co-op

• Lidl

• M&S

• Morrisons

• Sainsbury's

• Waitrose.

Britain's higher-welfare pig farming methods carry extra cost so producers rely on a modest premium. Without it they would have to downgrade to lower-cost European Union production standards, where it is still common, for instance, for sows to be kept in stalls for part of their lives.

As a result of the outstanding support of NPA's hundred-percenters, which has been publicly applauded many times this year via NPA's "Keep-It-Up" campaign, the British price premium received by producers has remained firm.

But NPA is now deeply concerned by signs the two biggest retailers are retreating from British pork in favour of cheaper, generally lower-welfare and less traceable imported product.

Unless Tesco and Asda maintain their support for British pig farmers, the national pig industry could be in serious difficulty next year.

A year ago the industry’s Standard Pig Price stood at 145p a kilo and today it is down to below 126p, and still falling. Taking all costs into consideration, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board sees current break-even price for producers at 139p.

“We recognise there is a glut of pork in the European Union at present, and the strength of sterling makes it available over here at an attractive price," said NPA chairman Richard Lister, a pig producer in North Yorkshire.

"But if retailers want the convenience of a thriving British pig sector on their doorstep, producing reliable supplies 52 weeks of the year of a quality-assured, traceable, high-welfare product, then it's essential they make a special effort to support British pig farmers, particularly at present when an increasing number are selling pigs at a loss.”