Malton tightens grip on pig market

16 June 1998

Malton tightens grip on pig market

By FWi staff

PIG processing giant Malton Bacon, which plans to end buying contracts with some pig producers, has strengthened its grip on the market by acquiring southwest-based slaughterer Case & Sons.

Unigate subsidiary Malton is the UKs biggest pig slaughterer, with almost 30% of the market. It currently kills 80,000 pigs per week, but the purchase of Case & Sons, which slaughters 5,500 pigs per week, will increase that market share to beyond 34%.

Unigate officials declined to reveal how much the company paid for Case & Sons, saying only that “the purchase price is not significant in the context of Unigates overall business.”

Case & Sons employs 200 staff at two processing sites near Shaftesbury and Taunton. Existing staff are expected to remain with the company under local management.