Makin’ bacon through the ring
THE number of pigs sold through the live ring last year jumped by almost 25% thanks to one growing sale at Dumfries Mart. Auctioneer Robert Weir has been building up the number of pigs sold at the mart since the monthly sale day kicked o in 2019.
Last year, 2260 pigs were sold through the live ring in Scotland with a total value of £325,000 changing hands. The Scottish Farmer caught up with Robert to find out about Scotland’s largest pig sale.
Robert has a long pedigree putting pigs under the hammer since he trained as an Auctioneer at Oliver’s Mart in Edinburgh in the early 1990s. One of his first jobs was running the weekly sale at the market in its twilight years.
He explained: “The mart had been selling pigs for over 100 years, but back in the 90s, the numbers were really dwindling. People were not trading pigs through the ring as the industry was becoming more consolidated. I started o selling 300 pigs per week before numbers fell to 12 on our last sale at the end of the decade.”
At the time, modern hybrids were being sold through the ring alongside Large Whites and Middle Whites. The decline of pig sales was common across the country as more and more marts stopped the trade with customers and suppliers falling in number.
Returning to the ring
DECADES later in 2018, Robert was working for C&D auctions as an auctioneer out of their Dumfries Mart where he picked up a demand to restart a pig sale. Robert explained: “I was out canvassing, and I kept getting farmers and kids asking about pigs.
Was there an outlet for people to sell a few pigs which were being reared on farms and cros? I was being asked about it regularly, to which I thought I could see a niche market that no one else was tapping into.”
Before long, the first pigs went under the hammer in September 2019 with all 170 animals through the ring finding a buyer. “This time, rather than modern hybrid pigs, we were getting a lot more heritage breeds coming forward,” explained Robert. “People
were looking for traditional outside-bred pork.”
Know your breeds
THE most popular breeds at sales are Large Blacks, British Saddlebacks, Tamworths, Middle Whites, and Berkshire pigs. The prime animals are in the greatest demand as butchers and home customers drive the market. The main categories at sales are weaners, porkers, cutters, and heavy baconers.
Weaners are the equivalent to store animals and are sold from 12 weeks and up to a weight of 35kg. These are bought live to be finished on a second farm which can take from six to eight months. Typically, these animals are making between £25/head to £70/ head with the market topping out in summer at around £90/head. This is a popular time for buyers who have cleared sheds of spring calving or lambing and can repurpose buildings to be a temporary pigsty.
Porkers weigh between 35kg to 55kg and are described as having a sweeter flavour. The animals can sometimes be bought for further finishing, but mainly they are hung up. These sized carcasses are particularly popular with hog roast customers. Next are the cutters which weigh between 55kg and 70kg, then beyond that, they are classed as baconers which run from 70kg to 110kg which are usually aged around eight months. The baconers sell for between £170/head and £250/head for the best pens.
Robert said: “Our main customers are butchers, meat wholesalers, and private customers who want a pig for the freezer. We have haulage and an agreement with Wishaw abattoir from the mart on sale days which gets the animals hanging up by nightfall. Customers can then arrange for the carcasses to be cut up by a butcher before delivery to their door.
“From a pig weighing 110kg, you can expect around 60kg of meat, which for most of our domestic buyers lasts them a year.”
Evolving sale
THE sale has had a number of challenges over the years. During COVID, a lot of people were buying weaners to finish for themselves which caused an influx of buyers to the market. However, once people went back to work, a lot of the pigs came back as people no longer had the time to tend to the animals. Similarly, the new VAN (Vet Attestation Number) requirements for producers have caused issues with smallholders and croers. When the typical customer is rearing between six and 12 pigs, it can be challenging to justify the expense of attaining the paperwork. As a result, sows and boars are not eligible for export which significantly cut the number of customers; therefore, the number of older animals sold has gone from 40 to zero. The pigs are sold in the pen with most going under the hammer in twos and fours but can be up to ten. Buyers need to arrange transport before coming to sales to ensure they can collect their purchases. Similarly, before taking a pig home, keepers must register with the agricultural department for a slap mark and a holding number which is needed to record movements. Pigs are moved in batches so individual IDs are not recorded.
Secret to success
ROBERT said: “We don’t work with anyone who only tattoos or slap marks their pigs, we require all animals to be tagged. Biosecurity and traceability are very important to us, with disinfection points for customers and pigs. “
If you are buying pigs,
make sure you have a comfortable scenario for them with a shed or a pig arch as well as some electric fence ground for the animals to exercise.”
The next sale on Monday, May 13, has a good mix of pedigree and non-pedigree animals according to Robert.
When asked his secret of the success of the pig sale, he explained: “Integrity, it is one of our strongest points. Be honest with customers and consignors.
If you see people right and look aer them in the first place, you can expect repeat business.”