Pig Farming Operation Celebrates 40th Anniversary

BQP, Pilgrim’s UK’s in-house 100 percent higher welfare pig farming operation, marked its 40th anniversary with a celebration event at the Suffolk Food Hall in Ipswich.

Established by Pilgrim’s UK Agriculture Director Andrew Saunders in 1979, the organization has evolved to become the UK’s leading pig farmer and award-winning producer of higher welfare pigs, consistently winning top honors in key industry awards year on year.

“Our core strategy at BQP focuses on the production of top quality, higher welfare pigs, with considerations of efficiency and CSR responsibilities at the heart of this, and safety as a condition,” Saunders said, speaking at the event. “For 40 years, we’ve worked with the best suppliers who have helped us to continue to push forward with the latest farming innovations to become the best in the industry. We are also proud to count two of the UK’s major retailers, Waitrose and Co-op, as our core customers.”

“We’re already looking ahead to the next 40 years of BQP, including attracting a new generation of farmers and enhancing our green credentials. Sustainable farming will remain a key priority as we strive to set new benchmarks in industry practices. As well as exploring solutions to reduce and minimize our impact on the environment, we’re proactively evolving our processes to ensure we have a culture that supports our people, our animals and our planet.”