A RECENT survey carried out by red meat promotional body Quality Meat Scotland has revealed that consumer awareness of the Specially Selected pork label has increased to a record 41 per cent in Scotland following a recent marketing campaign.
But while NFU Scotland’s pigs committee chairman Philip Sleigh welcomed that news, he said that support from retailers would be better.
He said: “Scottish pig farmers are currently under huge pressure, working hard to produce high-quality, high-welfare pigs for the Specially Selected pork label but those pigs are currently leaving the farm at a loss to the business.
“Knowing that brand awareness is rising and that Scottish consumers value the product is a helpful reminder that we are on the right track even though confidence is at a low ebb.”
Sleigh believes that, if support for Scottish product is rising, then consumers themselves had the ability to help spark greater demand, thus helping the Scottish pig sector.
He added: “They can continue to seek out and buy pork bearing the Specially Selected label but if they find themselves in supermarkets where Scottish pork isn’t available, then we urge them to send a clear message to the retailer that it’s Scottish pork that they want. Consumers value Specially Selected pork and Scottish retailers should value it too.”
The QMS marketing campaign’s objective was to increase awareness of the brand in order to encourage consumption and increase market share of branded product.
Uel Morton, chief executive of Quality Meat Scotland, described the success of the Specially Selected pork campaign as “very encouraging”.
He said: “The Scottish pig industry is without doubt enduring a period of uncertainty and this record awareness of the quality of pork produced in Scotland is a very positive signal for our farmers.”
One aspect of the campaign showed that consumers recognised the commitment the pig industry had to high standards of welfare. It works very closely with Scotland’s leading animal charity, the Scottish SPCA, where the development of the “Specially Selected Pork Approved by the Scottish SPCA” label was a ground-breaking initiative.
Morton added: “In recent weeks our industry has taken further strides with the first apprentices in the new Scottish Pig Academy and several major retailers have increased their commitment to sourcing and clearly labelling Specially Selected pork.”