A FARMING company has pulled the plug on two dairy farms in south Pembrokeshire, citing the poor market place as a reason for closing.

Suffolk-based Frederick Hiam Ltd, who farm Corston Farm, Hundleton and Lower Broadmoor Farm, Talbenny will be closing the two farms and exiting dairy farming all together, resulting in the loss of eight jobs and sale of 700 dairy cattle.

A spokesman for the company said: “Over the years the dairy herds have performed very well producing high milk yields at competitive cost but the downturn in farmgate prices over the past two years coupled with a depressing medium to long term outlook for dairy farming forced the business to look very carefully at the prospects for the sector.

Company chairman Christopher Wilson said: “My family has been farming in eastern England for four generations, well over 100 years, and for two generations in Wales and it is sad for us that we are leaving Wales but we cannot ignore the market place. Despite our best efforts we have reluctantly concluded that we cannot continue under these circumstances’.

Lindsay Hargreaves, Managing Director for Frederick Hiam said the directors and shareholders had not taken the decision lightly.

The dispersal of the commercial Holstein Friesian herds will commence on Wednesday, June 15 at Carmarthen Livestock Mart and will continue over the following weeks. The farms will be brought to market immediately upon the clearance of the live and dead stock.

Simon Snape, who has worked at Lower Broadmoor Farm for the past 13 months, found out about closure of the farms in a meeting on Friday, May 20.

Simon said: “I've been here since April last year, and it really is a great place to work, with a good variety of work.

“It is however very sad that Frederick Hiam is having to sell up because of the poor times in the dairy industry, and I am very disappointed as it’s a huge loss to the industry.”

FUW Deputy President, Brian Thomas said: “This is a well-run farm, but it shows the state of the economic climate in farming and why they’ve taken the decision.

“The agricultural industry is finding it difficult to compete on the world market due to volatile prices.”