Pig market: 04/06/2018

Prices reported to IFA

Comment: Another good week on the European pig price front, with further price increases across Germany, Denmark, Spain and Holland. The seasonal drop in the number of pigs being presented for slaughter is increasing processor demand at long last. The increase in temperatures across mainland Europe, not just Ireland, last week has increased consumer demand for barbecue cuts, with pork benefiting to a high degree from this increased demand and consumption. The Irish price remains unchanged at an average of €1.40c/kg again, but the positive trends on the continent auger well and Irish pig farmers continue to hope for a much-needed price rise towards the break-even figure of €1.50c/kg. While the weather was super across Ireland for the June bank holiday weekend, the only negative is the one day less slaughtering, which takes pressure and competition off procurement managers to fill this week’s and next week’s books.