MANAGEMENT ▶▶▶
Building a pork brand, one tour at a time
The EU PiG Innovation Group aims to raise the competitiveness of the European pig industry by connecting producers and sharing tried and tested best practices. In this edition: creating awareness through company tours and the sale of unique Berkhout meat with a story.
BY NATALIE BERKHOUT, CORRESPONDENT
The ambassador Doreen van den Berkmortel, owner of Van den Berkmortel pig farm in Noord-Brabant, the Netherlands. On her farm are 1,000 sows and 8,500 pigs.
The innovation With the aim of building a strong brand, engaging customers and building their trust, Van den Berkmortel offers customers and the public the chance to visit the farm and to see the welfare, cleanliness and quality standards for themselves. This is promoted by engaging with people through open days, farm tours and walking and cycling tours, which allows con- sumers to see and feel that the pigs are cared for and well looked after.
The idea The Van den Berkmortel family are proud of the pig farm and Berkhout pork brand they have established. Many consumers are misinformed about the pig sector; the family therefore aim to have consumers buy tasty meat directly from the pro- ducer to develop trust and appreciation for the brand. Through opening the farm’s doors to customers, the family can educate consumers, be transparent about their farming practices and standards and generate curiosity about pig farming, specifically, the Berkhout pig brand. This offers an enormous opportunity to positively promote the sector.
The consumer experience Open days are free of charge and give visitors the opportuni- ty to learn about how the pigs at the farm are raised and
cared for and to learn more about the processing of the meat. In addition, various activities are organised, all of which make for a fun and educational day out. Farm tours cost € 15 per adult and € 7.50 per child, and walk- ing tours are € 7.50 per adult and € 5 per child. Cycling tours are € 27.50 per adult and € 15 per child.
The advantages • The farm is building a trusted brand. • The farm generates income from the tours. • They anticipate a revenue increase of 15%.
The costs Implementing the changes needed at the Van den Berkmor- tel pig farm cost the owner more than € 350,000 over the past six years. However, annual revenue due to increased sales is almost € 70,000 per year.
What is next? The family are planning a project espe- cially for schoolchildren and also plan to build a new stable for their piglets (four to 11 weeks of age) with a skybox for viewing purposes.
▶ PIG PROGRESS | Volume 37, No. 2, 2021 55
Doreen van den Berkmortel is the owner of Van den Berkmortel pig farm in the Netherlands.
PHOTO: VAN ASSENDELFT FOTOGRAFIE/ILONA LESSCHER, NIEUWE OOGST
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