Rory Christie

Rory Christie

Port William, Wigtownshire

Dairy, pigs & beef

MIXED (DAIRY, PIGS AND BEEF), WIGTOWNSHIRE:

Rory’s business is located close to the small fishing villages of Port William and Monreith, in the Machars of Wigtownshire, near to Newton Stewart in Dumfries and Galloway.

Rory and his brother currently run a 200-sow pig business, and an 1100-cow dairy enterprise.

The business has been in the Christie family for three generations, with Rory managing the dairy side of the business and his brother Gregor in charge of the pig unit.

Within the dairy unit, the brothers work with two other dairy farmers, pooling the cows’ genetic resources to breed the best possible herds for their pasture-based dairy systems. Using the latest genetic testing, AI and embryo transfer (where fertilised eggs are extracted from the best cows and implanted in poorer cows to increase the number of top offspring), they are rapidly improving herd health, productivity, and profits.

Being involved in such exciting new ways of doing things, as well as building infrastructure, are Rory’s favourite aspects of farming. Wanting to drive a more circular economy, he is also keen to learn and share his farm experiences in a way that engages people so that they value everything about food and the way that it is produced, not just its price.

As founding chairperson of the Milk Suppliers Association (MSA) and Vice Chairman of the Scottish Agricultural Organisational Society (SAOS) Rory is soundly invested in the sector, believing that it is up to farmers to communicate the true cost of cheap food and continue to develop food systems that bring planetary solutions, encourage profitable primary producers, and deliver farming back to the top of the respect pile.

Rory’s passion for farming and the wider industry comes from a natural leadership quality and a desire to find the best outcome in any situation. He was never pushed by his family to farm, but he felt that it would provide him with the best way to lead, so chose to study agriculture at Edinburgh University before returning to his farm.

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Rory was once a rally driver of note and then took up cycling – and is now seeking something else to stop him working so much. He is also a qualified conflict resolution mediator.