September 11th 1999

New pig price rise welcomed

THE 4p per kg increase in pig prices announced by the major processors vindicates the negotiating strategy of IFA said the association's pigs chairman Liam Ryan. "We strongly lobbied the main buyers over the past three weeks to reverse the infamous 2p price drop of August and to give a positive signal to pig farmers for the future," he said.

The increase will cut producer losses per pig from £5.60 to £2.80 and gives a positive signal that processors want farmers to survive, he said. "Despite this welcome increase we must remain focused on the need to get prices to break-even and beyond as quickly as market circumstances allow."

Recovering the huge losses suffered by producers over the past year will require prices well in excess of break-even for at least two years, he warned.

"We expect the price recovery to continue and look forward to reaching the crucial break-even price of 95p per kg as markets improve," he said.

Speaking at an IFA pig seminar in Cavan on Monday night IFA president Tom Parlon welcomed the 4p increase and said the target now was to get price to the break even figure of 95p for the first time in 15 months.

Meanwhile, the latest Northern Ireland Agricultural Census shows that numbers of breeding female pigs in Northern Ireland fell by 23 per cent or 15,000 head to 51,000 in the twelve months to June last. The number of female breeding pigs reached a ten year peak in 1997 of 72,200.