Europe's pig prices up again

By James Brady

All EU countries built on the price momentum gained last week by announcing a further price rise for this week. The following table highlights the price movement in these countries over the past 2 weeks (see table below).

Sow prices across the EU also increased with Germany up by 4c to €1.05/kg, Denmark up by 4c to €0.78/kg and the UK price is still at €0.95/kg.

The average Irish price is unchanged this week and ranges from €1.29 to €1.32, while pork is paying a net price of €1.36 on average. The bonus for ‘welfare' pigs remains at 6c/kg into both Northern and Southern plants. Weaner demand is steady with prices averaging €44-€46 for 32kg. Sow prices are increasing and €28/cwt liveweight €0.79/kg deadweight is freely available with higher quotes early this week.

Latest data available from Northern Ireland indicate that supplies are running 3% below the corresponding level in 2003. Sow and boar numbers fell to 31,000 head, some 16 per cent lower than the corresponding period in 2003. Live exports to Northern Ireland amounted to almost 160,000 head up to mid-May. In the second half of the year, supplies are expected to remain below corresponding 2003 levels, leading to supplies for the year as a whole expected to be some six per cent lower. Given this information, on an island of Ireland basis, supplies to date this year amount to 1.57 million head, some 6.7 per cent below the corresponding period last year.