Support free-range pork, or it'll be gone

Support free-range, or it'll be gone.

Yesterday I visited Simon, our free-range pig farmer. We’ve worked in partnership with Simon since 2018. Like many of our farmers we have a long and close relationship with Simon, and this saw us come through covid together– when we all needed food delivery- with flying colours. However, farming is tough right now, particularly free-range pig rearing.

The brutal nature of world events was clear to see yesterday on farm. With feed prices increasing, labour impossible to find and even the company that supplied Simon his pig arks had gone out of business. The conversation we had left me wondering how much longer Simon would want to carry on farming.

Simon said that without our support he wouldn’t have continued to battle on. The rise in production costs has led to farmers losing £50 per pig due to the gap between production costs and the price retailers are prepared to pay, said Rob Mutimer of the National Pig Association (NPA) last week.

Indeed, an open letter had been sent from the NPA to the Tesco chief executive stating the retailer risked losing its British supply base if it did not pay a fair price.

Simon phoned me 18 months ago and asked whether we could provide further financial support for his rising feed costs. We agreed to help on the spot, and we continue to provide this support.

However, it soon won’t be enough as production costs continue to increase. His feed price has doubled and represent 65% of his production costs. Free-range pigs require more feed than intensively reared pig and these costs are unsustainable for him.

We will continue to support Simon, but we also need your help.

What can you do?

1. Support the free-range pork industry. Whenever you are buying pork, ask for free-range, not outdoor bred or outdoor reared. Make a conscious decision to choose free-range.

2. Expect to pay a little more for free-range pork. Today our free-range pork chops retail at £5.98 500g versus Waitrose British pork chops at £4.20 500g. That £1.78 makes the difference. It will keep free-range farmers in business.

Why is free-range important – isn’t it the same as outdoor reared or outdoor bred?

No. Free-range means free-range – the pig will not be kept inside at the beginning or end of its life such as the case with outdoor bred or outdoor reared. Why is this important? Pigs should be free to exhibit natural behaviour, outside, rootling and wallowing. This means they’re exercising, taking more time to grow because they’re ranging. This way, their welfare is put before profit margin. The benefit comes through in great quality marbled meat that is incomparable in taste to intensively reared pork.

Prioritising welfare means paying a little more. However, it now means you’ll also be keeping one of the only free-range pig farmers left in the South of England in business. I truly believe it’s worth fighting for free-range pig farming in this country. As Simon says in his video – if we all leave the industry (pig farmers) then imported non-free-range pork will be sucked into the UK. Free-range will be a thing of the past. UK free-range farmers simply won’t come back if they leave.

We need to act now. Next time you’re shopping with us, please consider buying a pork cut.

"Eating is an agricultural act"
Wendell Berry
Writer, environmental activist, and farmer