Farmers want Welsh meat on school menus

A survey conducted by BBC Wales reveals that less than a quarter of the Welsh local authorities can guarantee that the meat supplied to schools comes from Wales all the time.

Three - Carmarthen, Ceredigion and Powys - said the meat used in primary and secondary schools was all bought locally.

The majority of the others said they did use local suppliers who bought Welsh meat when it was available.

Only three said they sourced their meat from the UK - not specifically Wales.

The figures coincide with the first day of the Winter Fair at the Royal Welsh Showground in LLanelwedd - the annual showcase for farmers who produce animals for the food chain.

Complex rules

Local authorities are governed by complicated European rules when procuring meat- those regulations state that country of origin cannot be stipulated when advertising for tenders.

But Meat Promotion Wales - the body responsible for promoting red meat in Wales - says they want to work with local authorities to ensure more local meat is used.

New guidance on procurement rules will be published by the Welsh Assembly Government in the New Year.

Authorities such as Cardiff are trying to review their contract arrangements in order to give more custom to Welsh meat producers.