Pigs WILL fly: Micro pig breeder's Brexit-proof plan launched in partnership with Galway farm

Kew Little Pigs which is based in Amersham, Bucks is the UK's leading breeder of miniature pigs who go to be pets in people's homes.

Before Brexit the farm had ambitions to export their pet pigs to Europe, but restrictions and changes made that more difficult than ever.

But undeterred farm owner Olivia Mikhail, set about finding a way to make her ambitions a reality, and has teamed up with Burden Nature Sanctuary in Kinvara co Galway.

After exams and overcoming hurdles both in the UK and Ireland, Mary Bermingham and Olivia Mikhail are now in a UK/ Europe partnership and will be able to supply pigs as pets to European countries.

The pigs arrived from Kew Little Pigs on Wednesday and are settling in well, and when piglets are born Burden Nature Sanctuary will be able to arrange transportation to happy new homes all over the EU.

Olivia, who founded Kew Little Pigs in 2010, said: "This has not been an easy process, but I am determined to expand our business as we really are at the forefront of best practice in the UK.

"We want to share our pigs, and knowledge with other countries and I am so excited to partner with Burden Nature Sanctuary. Mary really shares our values and I know that this is going to be a wonderful thing."

To enable the partnership Olivia had to get UK and EU authorisation and van checks, a process which has taken months as well as a mountain of paperwork on Mary's side too.

But after many hours of research, training and applications later the pigs, named Apollo, Freya and Jupiter, are now settling into their new Irish home.

Mary added: "We are all so excited to begin this partnership, which has welfare and kindness at its heart. We know that the pigs will go to loving homes, and being able to share that with the rest of Europe is a wonderful thing."