A farming family has invested £220,000 in a new 1,000-head pig finishing enterprise after receiving advice from an industry initiative.
Aled Thomas says his family is unlikely to have diversified into pig production without the advice and support of Menter Moch Cymru.
The initiative supports and develops the pig industry in Wales, providing support, training and advice to producers and other businesses in the sector.
Thanks to the advice, Aled, who farms the 120ha mixed farming operation, has created the biggest commercial pig finishing business in Pembrokeshire.
The venture started because Aled and his brother Rhydian both wanted to farm but the scale of the existing business, with suckler cows, arable and potatoes, didn’t allow for that.
Aled had gained knowledge about pig farming while studying for his degree in agriculture at Harper Adams University and the family had discussed this as an option for expansion.
They attended an event on setting up a pig enterprise hosted by Menter Moch Cymru in Pembrokeshire.
“We didn’t want go into pigs blindly, to build a shed without knowing anything about it, so we went along to that," Aled recalls.
“That meeting really inspired us and made us want to look at the idea more closely."
An advisor from Menter Moch Cymru visited them at their farm: “He spent a long time at the farm and pointed us in the right direction of who to speak to for contacts, shed design ideas, costings, the pitfalls to avoid, and snippets from the industry," Aled says.
The family invested £220,000 in a building with capacity to accommodate 1,000 pigs in a straw-based system from an average of 35kg to finishing at around 110kg liveweight.
The business took delivery of its first batch of pigs in August 2021 and is aiming for around 3.5 cycles a year.
They buy white Landrace weaners from Pilgrims UK, one of the largest meat packers in the world, and also sell the finished pigs to them on contract.
The unit is Red Tractor and Freedom Foods assured. “Menter Moch Cymru helped us with the audits which was very useful," says Aled. “They also provided signage advising on protocols such as foot dipping.’’
There was also support to produce a herd health plan. The Thomas’ were able to access 80% funding towards an initial herd health plan, followed by further support for a review in subsequent years.
“One of the most valuable things is the contacts, I think people underestimate how having contacts helps a business in general," Aled says.
“Menter Moch Cymru is always at the end of the line when we need help and what they can’t help with they know someone who can.’’
Aled divides his time between the business and his London-based job writing reports on the global rice market as well as his new appointment as a county councillor.
“If it hadn’t been for expanding into pigs I would potentially be living and working full time in London and might have lost interest in agriculture, but instead I can make a living from farming."
