Three leading UK pig groups announce merger

Pig marketing groups Thames Valley Cambac, Scotlean, and Scottish Pig Producers have announced merger plans to create the United Pig Cooperative.

Votes by members of the three groups on the proposed merger took place earlier in January, with the decision confirmed on Thursday 23 January.

It is understood that the new co-operative will provide its independent farmers with a greater voice and more negotiating power within the marketplace.

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The United Pig Cooperative will have offices in Oxfordshire and Yorkshire and should benefit from operational efficiency savings following the merger.

Andy McGowan of Scottish Pig Producers and Phil Woodall of Thames Valley Cambac will act as co-general managers of the co-operative for an interim period, with a permanent general manager due to be recruited later this year.

Roderic Bruce, chairman of Scottish Pig Producers, said: “With the rapid rationalisation we are seeing across the whole supply chain the need for this merger is clear.

“By taking the best of all three groups we will create an organisation that can best serve its customers and members for the future.”

Thames Valley Cambac chairman Robert Beckett added: “I am delighted that we have been able to bring these three businesses together which will further increase our ability to add value to not only the members but also our processor customers as well.”

Richard Butterworth, chairman of Scotlean Pigs, concluded that United Pig Cooperative represented a bold step forward for the UK pig farming industry, and would ensure that independent farms can thrive in an increasingly integrated market.