THE Meat and Livestock Commission is consulting farmers about a possible increase in promotional levies which, if accepted, would become 45p a head for cattle and 4.5p a head for sheep.

Mr Len Chamberlain, MLC industry relations manager, explained the background to the committee last week, saying the levies had not risen for three years but advertising costs, particularly television advertising, had gone up.

Reserves had been used over the last three years to maintain the amount of advertising but these had now gone.

European top up funding in the wake of BSE was now decreasing and would probably come to an end in a couple of years.

TV was the key to promotional success and campaigns such as the Recipe for Love and the latest Tim Nice But Dim, starring Harry Enfield, had both been recognised as among the best on television.

The £2.5m Harry Enfield television campaign was deliberately aimed at increasing meat sales in the middle of the week.

Independent research showed that the four-week campaign saw lamb sales rise by 11pc and beef by 9pc.

"This campaign has got into the top ten of TV adverts," said Mr Chamberlain, but he pointed out that, while a 30-second advert in the middle of Coronation Street had cost £70,000 in 1999, this year it cost £90,000 for 20 seconds.

"It equates to the sale of 250,000 lambs to pay for one of these slots," he said.

Mr Chamberlain accepted that sales did trail off after a campaign but said that occured with all advertising.

The MLC could afford to run only two or three advertising campaigns a year and the timing was crucial.

He accepted that an increase in levy would be unpopular with many farmers but said it was needed just to stand still. Mr Chamberlain pointed out that farmers had control over how the levy money was spent by membership of the promotional committees.

The committee said many farmers questioned whether the campaigns resulted in increases in British meat sales or whether it was in imports as well.

Mr Chamberlain said the new British standard mark of the red tractor played an important role in attracting shoppers.

One farmer believed many would be reluctant to pay a higher levy when their own prices were lower, but Mr Richard Thornton of Kirkwhelpington said farmers should not ask themselves if they wanted to pay a higher levy but whether it was necessary.

Mr Malcolm Corbett of Otterburn said it was necessary to promote British meat. The levy was a very small percentage to pay when one considered Kelloggs spent £50m a year on cornflake advertising alone and Cadburys spent £15m simply to sponsor Coronation Street.

Mr Corbett believed the importance and work of the MLC should not be undermined.

Mr Chamberlain said meat was now seen as a fashionable food with a number of high-profile celebrities giving up vegetarianism and returning to meat.

The government has also recommended a minimum number of red meat meals for school menus and meat figured in general health and nutritional messages given out by health professionals.

He said MLC work was looking at how a credible new "truth" about red meat could be created to stand alongside the "truths" of milk being good for bones, fish for brains and red wine for hearts.

A show of hands resulted in committee members voting 12-2 in favour of it being necessary to increase the levy.

Mr Chamberlain is willing to address any meeting throughout the northern region to discuss the levy proposals with farmers. The NFU has also agreed to ask members for their views.