Rosderra has significantly increased its presence in the pig farming sector following the purchase of Michael Monagle’s two pig units in Tipperary and Cork.

The country’s leading pig processor confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal that it bought Monagle’s farms at Rathcabbin near Roscrea and Annakisha outside Mallow.

The deal was also confirmed by well-known pig farmer Monagle. However, both parties refused to comment when asked about the sale price.

“This is confidential between both parties,” said a spokesman for Rosderra.

The purchase of the two Monagle farms represents a major expansion in Rosderra’s pig production operations.

The farms were described as “very impressive units” and “among the best in the country” by industry sources.

The Rathcabbin farm is a 2,000-sow unit, while the Annakisha farm is believed to be a 900-sow operation.

The latest Rosderra acquisitions follow on from the purchase of the Kiernan pig unit in the Glen of Aherlow around 18 months ago, and the prior purchase of another farm from Glen of Aherlow Holdings in the summer of 2021.

While Rosderra declined to comment on the current size of its farming operations, senior industry figures estimate that the company’s pig units now have in excess of 10,000 sows, and are capable of rearing and finishing around 5,000 pigs a week.

This has provoked some unease among independent pig producers, who fear that increased farm ownership by pig processors will inevitably erode their margins.

However, industry commentators claim that greater farm ownership by processors is indicative of increased ‘vertical integration’ in the pig sector, which is happening right across Europe.

With the national pig breeding herd having fallen by close to 10% since 2022 – it now stands at around 135,000 sows – farm purchases are viewed as an effective way for processors to shore up and ring-fence their supply base.