Pig market: 27/11/2017

Prices reported to IFA

Comment: Disappointing news for pig farmers suppling both Rosderra and Kepak last Friday with the announcement of a 4c/kg reduction to be imposed on this week’s pig price. This leaves quotes at or below the breakeven price of production at €1.48c/kg to €1.50c/kg in both of these processors. In the south of the country, both Staunton’s and Dawn Pork and Bacon held quotes at the previous week’s levels of €1.52c/kg to €1.54c/kg. There was another big kill, with over 72,000 pigs slaughtered last week, but all reports are that the pigmeat market is very resilient, with solid demand. It’s a similar situation across Europe in recent weeks, with an increase in numbers slaughtered in the last few weeks and pressure on farmer price. It’s extremely worrying that after a few short months of a decent price, with a margin over costs, that pig farmers once again are faced with a pig price that is not covering the costs of production.