A Nairnshire farming family has hailed a move into pig production as a valuable addition to its business enterprise.
The family says it has no regrets about the decision made two years ago, to introduce a pig herd to its sheep, cattle and arable enterprise.
The Forbes family, who farm 850 acres based at Little Kildrummie, near Nairn, have added a herd of 65 outdoor sows to their previous livestock enterprise of 130 suckler cows and 450 ewes.
With the outlook for the pig sector looking promising and good demand from meat processors for Scottish pigs, the family plans to further increase its pig numbers in the months ahead.
The farm business is run by Stephen Forbes in partnership with his wife Lynn, and with support from Stephen’s son Gus.
The opportunity to start up a pig unit came when a local farmer moved out of pigs and the Forbes family has now established a herd of Large White cross Landrace.
It is the first time in the family’s 90-year history on the farm that pigs have been part of the business mix.
The introduction of the pig enterprise has allowed the family to make better use of shed space which had previously been under-utilised and also makes good use of the cereals grown on the farm.
“So far the decision to move into pigs has definitely been a good one for us,” said Stephen Forbes.
“Initially there was a very steep learning curve for us moving into pigs for the first time, particularly when it came to outdoor farrowing.
“However, we now have a good system in place and we have plans to further increase our sow numbers.”
The sows are kept outdoors with their offspring brought inside to be finished on straw courts.
The finished pigs go mainly to Munros in Dingwall but the farm business has also successfully diversified into its own meat retail business.
This side of the enterprise is led by 25-year-old Gus Forbes who is now focusing on further developing this successful growth area of the business.
He said: “We started selling our own beef, lamb and pork – which is all quality assured under Quality Meat Scotland schemes – almost a decade ago and we haven’t looked back.
“Initially our focus was very much on local events and farmers’ markets and then five years ago, we started our own butchery.”
Gus is now a trained butcher and around two years ago, Forbes Farm Fresh launched its own online and catering business, with hog roasts proving incredibly popular.
The meat retailing side of the business is booming with online sales of Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork trebling in the past few years.
Gus said: “At our busiest time of year, we can go through five pigs a week to meet demand, particularly for hog roasts for weddings and other events.”
He said the family was working to grow its reputation as a supplier of top quality beef, lamb and pork.
“We are also looking forward to increasing the size of our pig herd over the next year,” added Gus.
“The pig herd is dovetailing well with our cattle, sheep and arable enterprises at this early stage.
“However, we are very much still in learning mode and we’re aiming to keep improving the efficiency of what we are doing.”