Pig producers are watching anxiously to see what price effects, if any, await them after Germany announced its first case of African Swine Fever (ASF) in a wild boar. China quickly halted imports of pigmeat from Germany, which has accounted for about 14% of its imports this year, and prices paid to German pig farmers promptly dropped 20c/kg.

China’s requirement for imported pigmeat continue to be very high after ASF outbreaks forced a large scale culling of herds over the past 18 months. It is now expected to source more pigmeat from Denmark and Spain, the other big producers in the EU.

In Ireland, prices are unchanged so far this week, at €1.60/kg to €1.64/kg.

The IFA has urged the Irish pig processing sector not take advantage of Germany’s misfortune by pulling prices where there is scope for pig prices to increase from today’s levels of €1.60c/kg.

It is vital that Ireland remains ASF free, IFA pig committee chair Tom Hogan has said.

The Department of Agriculture has urged pig owners to be vigilant following the recent German case.

South Korea and Japan have also halted imports of pigmeat from Germany.