 British sows must be kept on social groups when they are pregnant |
The Meat and Livestock Commission is launching an advert to warn consumers that imported pork often does not meet British animal welfare standards. Pig farmers say British shoppers should become aware of the problem, so they can make an informed choice.
The UK is the only country where it is a legal requirement to keep pregnant sows in social groups as opposed to keeping them in single stalls.
Pork production in the UK has declined by 40% over the last five years.
'Higher standards'
"We have actually seen a decline in the size of the British industry of about 40% in the last five years and an enormous increase in import," Mick Sloyan of the British Pig Executive told BBC News.
He said it was important to stress that British standards had moved ahead of anybody else's.
"We believe that British consumers are actually interested in the standards of animal welfare," he added.
Mr Sloyan said they had surveyed about 1,500 consumers, asking them whether they would be concerned if they knew that two-thirds of pork meat imported into the UK would be illegal to produce here because of animal welfare regulations.
"More than 90% actually said that they were," he said.
"Normally you get a large number of people who don't care, but in this instance they seem to."
He pointed out that the campaign would inform people on where they can get pork meat that met UK standards, "whether it's from the UK itself or imported product".
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