A New Zealand Pork released report shows a nine per cent drop in pork imports coming into the country, the first major drop in imports in seven years.

“We believe New Zealanders are waking up to how much imported product is coming into the country” says Sam McIvor New Zealand Pork CEO. “The 9 per cent drop is equivalent to 70,000kg per week. But the fact is there is still about 700,000 kgs a week coming in to be made into bacon and ham”.

“There is no doubt that New Zealanders want to know where their food comes from”. In February this year New Zealand Pork launched Country of Origin labelling to denote ‘100 per cent New Zealand grown’ bacon and ham.

“We’ve made it available free to manufacturers and retailers who can prove they use New Zealand product, and we’ve struggled to keep up with demand. The very clear feedback we have from bacon manufacturers is that their New Zealand grown product is increasing in sales. As consumers are now buying their Christmas ham we’re sure we’ll see the same trend there too.”

McIvor says that in the tough financial times consumers are reverting to brands they can trust, and the 100 per cent New Zealand message is a key component of that trust.

“This is a poignant reminder to legislators who have rejected calls for Country of Origin Labelling. We’ve taken the lead to inform consumers. My advice this Christmas is to look for the 100 per cent New Zealand pork, bacon or ham label to ensure they buy local.”