A CHIPPING pig farmer will be adding his voice to thousands of others at a huge protest rally in London tomorrow.

Pig producers from throughout the North West will be heading for the capital for a march past Downing Street to Trafalgar Square.

Up to 5,000 marchers are expected to call on supermarkets to clear their shelves of all pigmeat products that fall short of British standards.

And joining them in their call to ban imported pigmeat will be Chipping pig farmer Bill Bailey.

Veronica Waller, North West policy advisor for the National Farmers' Union, said the rally would be a "focus for the desperation pig producers were feeling."

"They have been through a terrible time over the past 12 months, with losses of up to £30 for every pig sold. These losses have come at a time when many pig producers have had to invest in welfare-friendly housing as a result of the stall and tether ban which applies only in the UK. The rally aims to highlight the higher welfare standards of UK pigmeat to consumers and call on them to buy British," she said. Mr Bailey, of Lower Greystoneley, Chipping, said he was joining the protest to try and convince shoppers to support local farmers and "buy British."

"Feeling in the industry is very strong. I have been farming for 30 years and have never seen it so bad. I am going to London because I want shoppers to support our industry and buy British. We have the highest welfare standards in the world and produce excellent pigmeat. We need and deserve support."

One of the coordinators of the rally, Sally Hayton, of pig feed equipment manufacturer E Collinson and Co, of Catterall, near Garstang, said it was time for Tony Blair to order his ministries to stop buying pigmeat from abroad which would be illegal to produce in Britain under new welfare laws.

"We have seen some great support from several of the supermarkets now committed to promoting British pigmeat, but we must ensure all supermarkets clear their shelves of any pigmeats that fall short of British standards. We will also be calling on the catering industry to play fair and stop serving imported pigmeats," she said.

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