CATERING butchers the Yorkshire Dales Meat Company is urging customers to buy British in the face of a predicted worldwide pork and bacon shortage.

Figures released by Britain’s National Pig Association show that the washout British summer and severe drought in the US have inflated the price of pig feed, plunging many farmers into a loss and prompting many to reduce the size of their herds. This could lead to either a sharp rise in the price of pork, which is currently the cheapest of the red meats, or empty shelves.

Stephen Knox, managing director of the Yorkshire Dales Meat Company, based near Bedale, said: “Farmers are facing a really tough environment at the moment with the difficult harvest caused by poor weather worldwide.

“Although the demand for meat is increasing, there are significantly fewer farmers, as escalating costs are making many farm businesses unsustainable. This is really having an impact on farmers’ ability to supply quality British meat and preserving our farming heritage.

“If we could encourage people to make a point of purchasing British pork it would go a long way to supporting British farmers through this tough time.”