North Farm Livestock named Pig Farmer of the Year at Farmers Weekly Awards

Congratulations to North Farm Livestock (NFL), which has followed its success at last year’s National Pig Awards by being named the 2026 Pig Farmer of the Year at last week’s Farmers Weekly Awards, in London.

NFL is the UK’s biggest free range pig farming operation, supplying Waitrose via Pilgrim’s Europe. By spring 2027, they will have 13,500 sows on their outdoor breeding farms, with the number of free-range finishing farms increasing from 27 to 44 across Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincolnshire.

With this ongoing expansion underway, performance figures remain strong and improving, with more than 29 pigs a sow a year on average and weaning an average of 12.14 piglets.

The structure of their farms, with breeding or finishing managers overseeing clusters of units, allows the necessary attention to detail to make continuous improvements. This contributes to low antibiotics use, with wean-to-finish usage at 15.7 mg/kg and breeding unit usage about 0.3-1.2mg/kg.

Average daily liveweight gain in the finishing herds is 820g/day, with a feed conversion ratio of 2.39.

The management team are running a highly efficient pig farming business, with huge focus is placed on the welfare of all animals and people involved, as well as the sustainability of the environment and local economy, according to the judges, who included the NPA’s Katie Jarvis.

Every element of their approach balances productivity and profit, with zero compromise on their long-term impact and success. This enables them to forge strong, long-term relationships, allowing the family business to grow.

The structure of their farms, with breeding or finishing managers overseeing clusters of units, allows the necessary attention to detail to make continuous improvements.

What the judges say

“North Farm Livestock have built a model where they are pig farming at scale, with incredibly high performance and welfare standards. They know their market, they constantly adapt and improve, and they have created a business where people want to work.”

Other finalists:

• Fred Allen, Newark, Nottinghamshire
• Molly-Anne Gimson, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

You can read more HERE