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Joyce and Gerallt with one of their Welsh pigs which won the class for a pork pig 55kg to 65 kg and then went on to win the overall supreme single champion at the 2007 Royal Welsh Winter Fair.[/caption]
A Carmarthenshire couple well known for breeding prize-winning Welsh pigs has found a ready market for their pork on the doorstep.
Joyce and Gerallt Owens of Lletty Farm, Llannon, near Llanelli, have been farming pigs for well over 20 years on their 65-acre farm but only started supplying a local farm shop and grill at Cwmcerrig, Gorslas, seven miles away after it opened early in February 2009.
"We now supply pork to Cwmcerrig fortnightly as we both enthusiastically support the Farmers' Union of Wales' long-running 'Help Cut Food Miles - Buy The Welsh One' awareness campaign," said Mrs Owens, who also works as an administrative assistant at the union's county branch office in Carmarthen.
"We usually supply around four to six pigs every two weeks to the farm shop but over the Christmas period, that figure more than doubles to 15 pigs. We are very happy with the steady flow and hope to keep this going for quite a while," added Mrs Owens.
The couple's enthusiasm for breeding and showing pigs has a long family history. She said: "We met first of all through my parents keeping pigs and taking sows to Gerallt's home for service to the boar.
"Eventually we got together through the YFC dances - but the love of pigs did start the ball rolling."
The couple received two Welsh pedigree sows from Gerallt's father after they got married and they started competing at shows soon afterwards.
Previously Mr Owens and his father had been exhibiting pigs for many years. Gerallt was seven when he started showing at the Royal Welsh Show and he and Joyce have also exhibited at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair every year since it started.
They have won numerous championships and prizes at both events and many other local shows.
In addition to the 100 weaners and porkers, including 12 sows and two bores they currently keep they also have 200 sheep and three suckler cows on the farm.
The pigs are taken just 16 miles to be slaughtered at the family run abattoir of Hugh Phillips, Gower Butcher, Wern Fabian Farm, Llanmorlais, near Swansea, after they reach a live weight of about 60 to 65 kg at roughly 16 weeks of age.