Promotion of pork to be extended

Press, 29 April 1981, Page 13

Promotion of pork to be extended

PA Wellington The pigfarming industry, buoyed by the success of its pork promotion campaign in Auckland, will extend it to the rest of New Zealand. Consumers will be able to buy the trim pork cuts in June.

The Pork Marketing Board's marketing manager, Mr lan Lamb, said the Auckland campaign, begun in March, had led to big increases in pork sales and higher returns to pig farmers.

The industry also wanted to make sure it had a substantial market share before the Meat Board began any local meat promotion campaign.

The board, under. strong pressure to begin a red meat campaign, will decide at its meeting next month. The total cost of the national trim pork campaign would exceed $300,000, Mr Lamb said.

Television advertising and in-store demonstrations on

how to use the new cuts will launch the campaign in middle or late June.

Trim pork offers greater variety, and less fat, than the traditional cuts. Before the campaign started, traditional pork had a 7 per cent share of supermarket meat display cabinets, but after six weeks, trim pork had 10 per cent and traditional pork 6 per cent. “More than half the Auckland supermarkets surveyed report trim pork sales are still increasing, and this at a time when meat sales generally are going down,” Mr Lamb said. “I think the Auckland campaign ..has shown that the trim pork campaign has proved itself. It has been a success and a boost to the industry.” It had also put more money into pig fafmers'pockets. The meat trade was offering farmers 8c to 15c a kilogram above the baconer meat schedule for good quality pigs.