Pig market: 04/12/2017

Prices reported to IFA

Comment: Following the 4c/kg price drop imposed by two processors two weeks ago, the remaining processors, including Dawn Pork and Bacon and Staunton’s, followed with 4c/kg price reductions for this week’s kill. The range of quotes farmers are getting this week is averaging around €1.50c/kg, with lows of €1.48c/kg all too common. Official prices reported by the Department of Agriculture show that the pig price is now 6c/kg lower than the same week last year, which was by all accounts a very poor year financially for Irish pig producers. Chair of the IFA pigs committee Tom Hogan called all pig processors to halt the pig price slide and return some much-needed stability to the pig farming sector. The Christmas ham season is in full swing, but, worryingly, the volumes of imported hams is a feature of the market place once again this year. Hogan called on all consumers to buy locally produced pigmeat this Christmas.