Farming Today

Farming Today This Week: Wales

Farming Today

Charlotte Smith visits a family-run farm in Monmouthshire who found a market supplying Saddleback pigs for charcuterie. Maurice Trumper and his Son Martyn run Pant-y-Beiliau Farm, a mixed farm of sheep, cattle and pigs. They love their Saddleback Pigs and were delighted when Trealy Farm charcuterie offered them the higher-price they needed to keep breeding and raising these iconic animals. When asked about retirement Maurice, who is in his 80s, says "What would I do? This is my life." and they describe how they continue to manage the farm together, and discuss the challenges faced by small family farms in general and in light of Brexit. Charlotte also visits Trealy Farm to discover how it was eating Saucisson in France as a boy that gave James Swift the idea of producing charcuterie using British breeds and how the story and provenance of the meat is crucial to the success of his product. James also talks about the growing export market to the Middle East using produce made from Welsh beef and Lamb. Joining the discussion is John Richards, the Industry Information Executive for HCC (Meat Promotion Wales) to give an overview of the market and how Brexit could impact on the future of Welsh lamb. There are also reports from Lucy Taylor about Welsh Black Cattle and from Steffan Messenger from the Royal Welsh Show which took place earlier this week. Producer: Toby Field.

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