Top pig breeder loses ‘lifetime’s work’ in blaze
A pig farmer has lost a lifetime’s work after fire ravaged a pig barn killing nearly 1,000 animals.
Award-winning pig farmer Jeremy Barber has been breeding pigs for 40 years at Seaborough Manor, near Beaminster, Dorset.
A top breeder of Large White pigs, Mr Barber has won awards for his breeding programmes in the USA.
However, a blaze that destroyed a piggery at his farm on Friday (30 March) is feared to have wiped out more than half his top breeding pigs, including some Large Whites.
His friend Jonathan French said: “Jeremy called me on my mobile at 8.10am on Friday. He was in a bit of a state and everything was going up in smoke.
“I live about 40 miles away and by the time I had got to his farm the building was just gone.”
Fifty firefighters from Dorset and Somerset tackled the blaze for up to three hours.
The 330ft-long complex was gutted in the fire, in which 975 pigs perished. But about 300 pigs were taken out of the building and saved.
“It is years of pedigree breeding lost. He likened it to the farmers who lost all their pedigree stock in the foot-and-mouth. It will take him ages to recover.”
Jonathan French
Mr French said Mr Barber and his family were devastated and were finding it hard to come to terms with the tragedy.
“He worked for 40 years building up his pedigree pigs. He exported all over the world to China, Europe and the States. A few years ago, he won a big award in the USA for a breeding programme where he produced the top 4 out of 3,500 pigs.
“At this time it is difficult to accurately say what has been lost along the pedigree lines.”
According to Mr French, Mr Barber is planning to rebuild his business although he recognises it will be a “long road ahead”.
“It is years of pedigree breeding lost. He likened it to the farmers who lost all their pedigree stock in the foot-and-mouth. It will take him ages to recover.”
A spokesman for Dorset Fire and Rescue said: “At just after 6.30am on Friday fire control received a call to a piggery on fire at Seaborough. Eight engines were in attendance including specialist crews.
“There was an asbestos roof involved in the fire with no affect to any other properties. Crews were at work protecting adjacent piggeries and property.
“There was 100% severe damage to the piggery and sadly more than 900 pigs lost their lives in the fire.”
Fire investigation officers are examining the cause of the fire, which is not thought to have been started deliberately.