A PIG farm in Compton Bassett received a visit from a Chinese delegation earlier this month.

Guangxi Province Animal Husbandry Group visited Buttle Farm to learn more about clean farming technologies including pollution prevention and manure handling.

The visitors asked questions regarding the extensive free-range environment that operates at Buttle Farm and how the flavour of the meat and quality of fat from animals raised in this way differs from intensively farmed commercial pigs.

Buttle Farm was one of a number of stops that the nine-strong delegation of farmers and vets made on their ten-day trip to the UK which also included the Soil Association and the Centre for Alternative Technology.

Sara Buttle, who owns the farm with her husband Robert, said: “It is fantastic that a small farm in Wiltshire has the opportunity to share our way of working and potentially have the chance to influence animal welfare and farming practices on the other side of the world.”

The tour of the farm concluded with a product tasting of Buttle Farm salami, air dried coppa and some slow-roasted bacon, all of which were well received by the visitors.