Flying pigs and the Merry roundabout
PIGS are flying for Jack Merry, and in a roundabout way, for auctioneer Raymond Potterton also. He is handling one of the largest, composite farm sales of this year, which includes three large pig farms in the north eastern counties at Littlegrange, Drogheda; Broomfield, Collon; and Kentstown in Navan.
All of the farms are 'birth to bacon' operations and all three come with substantial amounts of farmland attached: in total, there are 440 acres in counties Meath and Louth. And it looks like Jack will more than live up to his name after the auction on September 10. At a guide price of €2,000 per sow place and with €2,340 sow places, the deal could be in the region of €4.6m , for the pig farms alone.
As he says: "I've been in pigs for 40 years and this is going to be my payday."
Interest is so strong says Raymond Potterton, that the pig units could be sold prior to auction. Strong enquiries have come from the south, where there are a number of well known pig farmers with the wherewithal to invest in production units of this size.
"Most of the southern producers who visited the piggeries were gobsmacked by what's on offer, these farms are in a seriously good condition", says Mr Potterton.
Jack Merry prides himself on his high health strain of pigs, he adds, and his minimal disease programme offers average cost savings of 1.00 per pig. That's a substantial saving on the annual drug bill for the 50,000 pigs a year finished by large scale producers like Mr Merry.
Fully licensed and in a spotless condition, the farms are seven or eight miles apart. Crucially, they have agreements to spread slurry in their localities: the largest unit at Littlegrange has agreements in place to spread over 2,100 hectares and the benefits of this would pass onto a new owner, says Potterton.
The Broomfield piggery has an area of 900 hectares for spreading, and all three piggeries have EPA licences.
This gives the farms a distinct advantage over other areas where spreading is limited and producers have to find other ways of disposing of waste. Each unit has a manager and staff who are prepared to stay on, says Potterton, and all three farms are run by an overall manager, making the transition easier for a new owner. Contracts are in place with the pig meat processors as well as the major multiples, including Sainsburys. Jack Merry is the largest pig producer in Meath, says Raymond Potterton. With planning well-nigh impossible for new pig farms, a ready-to-go operation is hugely attractive., despite worries about the future of pig farming and farming in general. The land sale includes two holdings at Littlegrange. Drogheda, of 73 and 53 acres with a dwelling house and a farmyard with the largest lot.
Both farms are eligible for cereal aid, with a small proportion of maize in the larger holding.
Littlegrange, Drogheda is described as a phenomenally yielding farm, which is currently under potatoes but is suitable for any purpose.
The largest parcel is at Kentstown in Navan and this which runs to 224 acres. and is also eligible. This farm is leased and is presently under grass: it has large, level divisions with good road frontage.
Mr Potterton gives a rough guide of €10,000 per acre, bringing the total for Jack Merry's holdings to almost €9m.
