A PROMOTION week dedicated to pork from Wales has generated an influx of interest and new support for the product.

Porc from Wales Week in January, saw over 12,000 website page views and hundreds of new social media followers which led to 1.9 million impressions and nearly 338,000 recipe video views.

Arranged for the fourth year running by Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) in collaboration with Menter Moch Cymru, one of its main aims was to draw consumer attention to locally produced pork – or ‘porc’ to give it its Welsh spelling and point of difference – by asking people to consider ‘how far is your fork from our porc?’

The promotional push forms part of HCC’s support for the pork sector which is currently facing a number of significant challenges.

These include processing problems, a shortage of skilled workers in England and the added pressure on margins largely due to rising feed costs. This combination has led to below-average prices for pigs across the UK.

HCC’s market development manager, Rhys Llywelyn said: “Despite the knock-on effect of turbulent conditions within the pork processing sector outside Wales, and a significant difference in size when compared against our lamb and beef sectors, the profile of the porc industry in Wales is growing and has its own fantastic tale to tell.

“Porc from Wales Week was an opportunity to educate people on the niche nature of the sector, the short supply chains and the high degree of animal welfare provided by artisan producers who love what they do.

“This year we took on the opportunity to reinforce positive buying habits adopted by many consumers during the various lockdowns of the last two years, by reminding consumers why they should buy locally produced porc.

"Carefully planned targeted advertising pointed consumers towards a digital map which displayed the location of all our porc producers across Wales.”

Other activity included working with social media influencers and producing new videos with broadcasters Sam and Shauna from Hang Fire fame.

They acted as chef ambassadors for the week and taught rugby legend Scott Quinnell to cook their own unique recipe. A toolkit of digital and hardcopy resources was produced for producers and retailers and social media graphics, e-bulletins and competitions shared with consumers.

Rhys Llywelyn added: “Following the promotions, a number of new listings have been added to our online directory of porc producers which is great news for consumers looking to buy locally produced meat.”

Melanie Cargill, Menter Moch project manager, said: “It’s was fantastic to see how the sector once again got behind the annual Porc from Wales Week campaign, and most importantly it’s encouraging to see the results and to hear the positive feedback we’ve received from retailers, producers and the rest of the sector.

“Every pork producer has their own unique story to tell and it’s brilliant to see this showcased as part of the campaign. It really put our fantastic pig farmers front and centre. Consumers seem to really appreciate this and value all the hard work, skill and commitment that goes into creating such an exceptional product.”

More information about porc from Wales can be found online at porcblasus.cymru/