British pig farmers are protesting not receiving a fair price for their hogs by turning to song and the Internet.
Pig, PigsAreWorthIt
(Photo Credit: PigsAreWorthIt)
The farmers are hoping to bring attention to their cause by turning Tammy Wynette’s classic country song “Stand by Your Man” into a novelty hit online with “Stand by Your Ham.” The chorus says, “Stand by your ham. Sausages, pork and bacon/help us stay in business/because our pigs are worth it/ Stand by your ham.”
The song will be available for download from the “Pigs Are Worth It!” Web site over the weekend. “It’s a lighthearted way of drawing attention to a very serious issue,” Yorkshire pig farmer Richard Longthorp told Reuters. “If this doesn’t stop, then as sure as eggs is eggs, the industry is going to disappear.”
The farmers say the lose $39 a pig because of higher feed prices due to higher fuel costs to deliver the feed and because of demand from Asia and drought in Australia.
As for the success of the song and what kind of attention it will bring to the farmers campaign, Barney Kay, National Pig Association chairman, who wrote the new lyrics said,” Hopefully we will have a couple of stars. I don’t think we’ll be at the Brits (a music awards ceremony) next year but you never know.”
