Ceredigion Pig producers have developed their business professionally thanks to the marketing grant from Menter Moch Cymru

Pig producers of Pontsian, Ceredigion have seized an opportunity to enhance  their business by utilising a marketing grant from Menter Moch Cymru.

Cennydd Jones and Naomi Nicholas became pig producers following their success in the Menter Moch Cymru and Wales YFC Pig Finishing Initiative in 2017.

Cennydd explained that today they sell produce from their herd of Welsh pigs through a box scheme, Traed Moch, and the marketing grant has assisted them to develop their business professionally.  

“It is so important to proceed to develop the business, and this funding was ideal for us, so we could develop further and ensure that our produce arrived at our customers doorstep as professional as possible.”

The purpose of the £750 grant from Menter Moch Cymru is to help producers promote their business and pork products by adopting a practical approach whereby businesses work with an approved design company to develop bespoke promotional materials such as leaflets, labels, packing, photography, digital adverts and graphics. The funding can also be used towards print and production costs.

As decided by Cennydd and Naomi the grant was used to develop bespoke boxes for delivering meat with their logo on the box and colourful informative flyers that will be used to convey their unique story, to share with potential new customers and  to accompany their meat boxes.

“Our intention with the marketing grant was to get more sustainable packaging and also flyers. I think that it is really important that the public know our story.  Today, every-time an individual purchases our box they are introduced to our unique story of being pig producers in rural Wales producing meat to the highest standard and rearing the native Welsh breed.” said Naomi.

“It has been a big development for us as a company. It’s a great step forward,” she added.

As part of the range of advice and business support that is available for pig enterprises, Menter Moch Cymru are encouraging pig producers to go for the grant to produce their own branded promotional materials for their business.

When discussing the process of applying for the funding Cennydd said that the whole process had been very easy and that they had huge amount of support and encouragement from the team at Menter Moch Cymru. 

“The process of creating these promotional materials for our business would not have been possible without the funding and the huge support that we received from the team.”

“The process to  was very slick and straightforward.  Both of us work full-time and we are quite dependant on things working quite smooth due to time constraints, but this was great.”

“The advice we had from the team at Menter Moch Cymru was very valuable and the flexibility of the team has helped us along the way,” he added.

“We had the flexibility of working with local Welsh companies, this was very important to us both as it allowed us to support the local economy. We wouldn’t have succeeded without the support,” said Naomi.

“The response from the public has been very positive.  Today people want to know what they eat and where their food originates from and I think that the flyer accompanying the meat box gives them an introduction to our story. Thanks to Menter Moch Cymru and this funding, our small company has been able to develop professional looking, high quality items, which really helps communicate our brand and image,” she added.

Pig keeping has been a new learning curve for Cennydd and Naomi and the support they have received from Menter Moch Cymru has been priceless.

 “We have benefited so much from the training, webinars and discussion groups that are arranged for us, we haven’t felt alone at all, there is a community within the pig producers and it has been a culture of learning from each other.  It has been a great atmosphere to learn and to make new contacts,” said Cennydd.

Melanie Cargill, Project Manager Menter Moch Cymru added, “It’s great to see pig businesses developing as a result of the marketing grant that is available for all pig producers here in Wales. Given the current situation as a result of Covid-19, there is an even greater need for producers to use as many marketing methods as possible to broaden their customer base and to highlight their products and services. In doing so, they will also raise awareness of the quality and availability of Welsh pork.

 “We live in an unprecedented time, so we feel that this type of support is timely and reflects the growing importance of having a strong brand identity that reflects the quality and the provenance of their pork in ways that are attractive to consumers,” she added.

Menter Moch Cymru is funded by the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.