Mostyn in pig buy

ONE of the state’s largest private agribusinesses has expanded its pork operations with the purchase of two regional piggeries after identifying increased domestic and international product demand.

Fremantle-based Craig Mostyn Group last week bought the Great Southern Pig Company’s two outdoor piggeries, at Albany and Narrogin, including livestock and feedstocks, from international pearl producer and agribusiness Paspaley Group for an undisclosed sum.

The sale adds 2,000 free range and straw-based eco-shelter livestock sows to Craig Mostyn’s current piggery operations of two breeder units and seven grow-out units (70,000 pigs).

The company also operates the Linley Valley Fresh processing works at Wooroloo.

Craig Mostyn Group, which turns over $300 million a year, said there was increasing consumer demand for pork produced from breeder and grower pigs raised outdoors in welfare friendly environments, particularly from local supermarkets Coles and Woolworths.

Linley Valley abattoir processes 500,000 pigs a year, employs 280 people and has sales of about $120 million a year.