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The National Pig Association [NPA] has dubbed ‘battling vegan activism’ one of its main challenges for 2018.
In his New Year message, NPA chairman Richard Lister said it will be ‘developing a comprehensive incursion support network to help producers targeted by animal rights and vegan activists’.
In an attempt to hit back, the NPA plans to launch a spring banner campaign to ‘reinforce the positive qualities of British pork’, as well as fighting proposed increases to environmental charges.
Lister also revealed that negotiating a good Brexit deal for the pig industry will be another major challenge this year.
Activism
Industry outlet Farming UK reports: “Vegan campaigning has risen in recent years, and the pig and dairy industry has in particular been a target of it.
“For the pig industry, vegan campaign groups have in the past entered pig farms and slaughterhouses to ‘film covertly at night’, with some farmers feeling ‘very threatened’.”
Farmer confidence low
But the farmers are not only feeling ‘very threatened’ – their confidence has also hit an ‘all-time low’.
According to the latest National Farmers’ Union member survey of 750 farmers, their confidence ‘has hit an all-time low since the survey began eight years ago’.
The survey also shows that twice as many farmers are going to reduce investment (20 percent) than increase investment (10 percent) because of uncertainty associated with Brexit.
