United Kingdom-Pig Farmer demands better meat labelling.

A DEVON pig farmer is lobbying his MP for clearer labelling on pork packaging, in line with a TV programme aiming to raise awareness of how pigs are reared.

Keith Partridge, who runs Duckaller Farm, an organic free-range pig farm at Dawlish, with his wife, Roz, decided to raise the issue with Teignbridge MP, Richard Younger-Ross, when he heard of the programme, presented by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.

Mr Partridge said: "The current labelling system is puzzling to say the least. We’re keen to get clarity for consumers over the terms ’outdoor bred’ and ’outdoor reared’ which can mean very different things.

"The Government needs to take the lead in demystifying consumers and support British farmers. The best way to clear up the confusion is to get a legal definition of the term ’free-range’."

The pair have farmed pigs and vegetables at Dawlish organically for nine years.

Keith said: "Once we have harvested our vegetables, the pigs are moved to those fields and eat all the leftover bits we can’t use. The organic process supports an environmentally-friendly, sustainable system, which is to everyone’s advantage."

Roz hoped that people had tuned in to last night’s programme and felt better informed as a result.

"The life of an intensively farmed pig is dull and, at times, brutal," she said.

"We owe it to all farm animals to be aware of how they are reared, so we can make informed decisions about the meat we buy."