Pig sector wins 2.65m promotion
26 November 1999
Pig sector wins £2.65m promotion
By Farmers Weekly staff
Pig farmers have been awarded £2.65 million by the government to spend on pigmeat promotion, with a further £0.35m going towards promotion in Northern Ireland.
The money is part of a £5m package, with the remaining £2m going to promote all meats, half for England and the rest for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The money for the pig industry will be allocated by the British Pig Executive (BPEX) the marketing arm of the pig industry.
How it will be spent has yet to be confirmed, although Mike Sheldon of the National Pig Association said it could be available before Christmas.
The pig promotion money will not have to be matched by the industry because BPEX levies already received cover this stipulation associated with the award.
Mr Sheldon welcomed the move, but said the chief objective was government compensation for the “BSE tax”, costing the industry an estimated £80m a year.