Pig market: 18/09/2018

Prices reported to IFA

Comment: The Irish pig price remains at €1.38/kg for another week. Feed cost has risen over 2018, and especially in the past weeks, to sit at €1.10c/kg on most Irish pig farms. A margin of less than 30c/kg over basic feed cost per kilo of pigmeat is simply unsustainable and the results are being seen in the pig farms around Ireland. Some farmers have had enough and been forced to close their doors and exit the business. IFA president Joe Healy stated last week that the “recent drop in pig prices is forcing pig farmers out of business and the situation is being compounded by an increase in feed prices”. He called on processors and retailers to act now “to support Irish pig farmers and to try to stabilise the situation or we will continue to see farmers exiting the sector”.