Pig breeding company Rattlerow Farms and Karro Food Group have agreed a deal that will see Rattlerow extend its Scottish operations through the acquisition of Karro’s breeding herd interests. As part of the deal, Karro has also affirmed its ongoing commitment to Scottish farming with agreements for Rattlerow to supply their Brydock based farming operation.
The agreement between Karro and Rattlerow Scotland Ltd was reached at the end of last week and sees the transfer of nine employees and almost 1,000 high-health sows. Rattlerow will also take control of Karro’s dam-line breeding programme to exclusively produce all its replacement gilts, as well as supply AI to the processor’s commercial pig production operation in Scotland.
Both companies have also agreed to long-term arrangements where Rattlerow will operate a dedicated Scottish nucleus and multiplication programme to specifically supply Karro’s farms with Landroc and Whiteroc genetics. Karro will have a distinct market edge, through the unique selling point of access to Rattlerow’s prolific outdoor herd, expertise and technologies – all of which leads to a high-quality pig supply through a partnership that offers significant efficiency advantages as synergies are realised between the breeder and processor.
Rattlerow is currently celebrating 60 years of pig breeding and genetics, and believes its relationship with Karro will create new opportunities for both the company and its customers.
“We’re delighted to be working so closely on a long-term genetic programme with a major processor,” the managing director of rattlerow Farms, Robert lawson, said. “This deal clearly demonstrates our commitment to Karro and the Scottish pig sector, and also fits into our wider aim to develop the largest high health genetic base across the UK.
“This expansion firmly places Rattlerow Farms as the leading supplier of outdoor breeding stock in the UK and also the breeding company farming the largest number of pigs in the UK.”
Karro chief executive Seamus Carr said his company was delighted to be involved in a strong and developing relationship with Rattlerow.
“With this new agreement we have secured the supply of a high-quality product which is a vital component in our delivery of top quality pork to our customers,” he added.
