Pig market: 13/11/2017

Prices reported to IFA

Comment: The Irish pig price remains stable at €1.52 to €1.54/kg this week in all main pig factories. There are higher prices reported for some spot loads, especially for lighter pigs, and there are many pig suppliers who have done deals to supply pigs to their processor at higher prices on a longer-term deal. The national kill is strong at 69,342 slaughtered in Ireland last week. All reports from both Bord Bia and the trade indicate that demand from the most valuable market for Irish pigmeat, the domestic market, is very strong. With the traditional surge in demand for hams in the run-up to the festive period, all market indicators point towards increased farmgate prices, but alas the opposite is the reality. IFA pigs committee chair Tom Hogan called on all processors in the industry to recognise the frustration among all pig farmers at the recent price reductions, stating that pig farmers cannot be allowed to fall into a loss-making situation.