Introduction
Relative to other livestock sectors, Scotland's pig industry is small. It is concentrated in the North and East of Scotland mainly because of its close links with cereal production and relatively dry climate. 8.8% of the UK breeding herd is located in Scotland. In 2007, the Scottish pig breeding herd was just over 40,000 sows. Between June 2006 and 2007 pig numbers fell by 1.5% to around 457,000 over 945 holdings. 745,000 pigs were slaughtered in Scotland in 2007.
The pig sector's share of total Scottish agricultural output was 2.7% in 2007 estimated at a value of £57.5 million.
This link to the Quality Meat Scotland website http://www.qmscotland.co.uk/analysis/downloads/Strategic%20review%20of%20the%20Scot%20PI%20web.pdf takes you to the Scottish Government funded Strategic Review of the Scottish pig industry.
Classification
Carcase classification is set out in European legislation. It allows price comparisons to be made between different countries in Europe. Accurate classification of pig carcases is important to the industry to ensure that farmers get a fair price for their product. This section covers in more detail the purpose of the scheme and what it involves.
Quality Standard Mark
A Quality Standard Mark for pork, bacon and ham was launched at the beginning of 2005 to help consumers distinguish between British produce and imports. Further information is provided in this section.