All this week I am doing the "Buy Local Challenge" which means I am doing the weekly family shop locally and not visiting any supermarkets. British pig farmers are facing soaring costs for pig feed and they need our support now more than ever. My local butchers in Watton, Steven Smith, offers a fantastic range of local produce (including some very tasty hot stuffed baguettes in the Winter). Earlier this week I bought some excellent quality local sausages and bacon from Steven.

The UK is only 25% self sufficient in bacon and the rest is imported. The National Pig Association’s ‘Save Our Bacon’ campaign is encouraging us to buy British bacon to support British pig farmers and the higher welfare standards they follow. It's important to look out for the Red Tractor logo in the shops as this shows that the product can be traced back to a British Farm.

Earlier this year I was very pleased to learn about a new DEFRA initiative which will mean that the less popular cuts of British pig meat will not go to waste. In May Agriculture Minister Jim Paice struck a deal worth £50 million over pork exports to China. Most of the exported pork will be offal, trotters, ears and other parts of the “fifth quarter” which British consumers do not want to eat. This is a fantastic export opportunity which will offer British pig farmers some extra support at this difficult time.