Two pigs from a Perthshire farm are preparing for four days of stardom on the Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) stand (avenue O, stand 582) at this week’s Royal Highland Show (June 19-22).
The pair – believed to be the only pigs at the show – are from a farm near Auchterarder. They’ll join sheep and cattle from other parts of the country in the education area of QMS’ ringside stand that attracts thousands of visitors over the course of the event.
The pigs come from one of the 100-plus pig farms in Scotland that meet the farm assurance standards required by QMS to produce pork that can carry the Specially Selected Pork Approved by the Scottish SPCA labels.
The four-month-old pigs, which have a Large White cross Landrace dam and Optimus sire, will join the cattle and sheep on the stand to help improve the public’s understanding of the care and commitment which farmers, and others, take to produce top quality beef, lamb and pork.
“We’re keen to ensure consumers, old and young, also have a good understanding of the quality assurance schemes that underpin the industry’s brands – Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork,” QMS health and education co-ordinator Jennifer Robertson said.
QMS works very closely with the Scottish SPCA on the industry’s assurance schemes, and each of the pig farms that are members of the assurance scheme are inspected by the charity.
Scotch Butchers Club member shops are currently running a promotion which raises the profile of the importance of welfare in the production of Specially Selected Pork and includes recipe leaflets and posters for display in their shops.