Marketing key to better returns, says pig producer
Marketing your own produce can offer pig producers significantly better returns, but how producers sell their product is key to success.
Erik Bengtsson, who farms in Karlsfalts Gard, Sweden, sells pork direct to gourmet restaurants and shops in Sweden for an average of £5/kg.
He said key to achieving top prices was “selling his story” to customers.
“We [farmers] tend to focus on things out of our control, like feed price and the weather. Instead we should focus on our story and the production,” he told delegates.
“People are interested in story telling and most of you have a very interesting story, but you have to tell it.”
He said third-party communication between himself, his buyers and their customers was key to building trust from the consumer and said it was important to be open with the customer about how the pigmeat is produced.
“We sell the product like it is Rolex watches,” he explained.
Mr Bengtsson said creating unique products with strong and consistent brand identity enabled producers to dictate their own price and profit.
“Have an open mind when to go to the marketplace and don’t be afraid of trying new things. We have to take steps every now and then that are unconventional to get ahead,” he said.
But he said producers needed to remember to keep focused on the market needs and the buyer.
He added: “Loyalty is something we build every day and we have to work on it every day.”
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