Average Pig Quotes This Week of €1.50/kg

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 being 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, 2016, which was by all accounts a very poor year financially for Irish pig producers. Chairman 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.

Ireland’s percentage of the EU price has improved and is currently 103% of the EU average price as reported to the EU Commission for the week commencing 20/11/2017.

Factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the week ending November 25th 2017 was 70,316 head which was 548 head less than the previous week and 6,062 more than in the corresponding week in 2016. Slaughterings in ROI export plants is 1.2% ahead the same period in 2016.

Export Plants: Top prices on a flat rate basis </= €1.48c/kg in Kepak and Rosderra, </= €1.48-€1.50c/kg in Staunton’s and €1.50c/kg in Dawn and Karro.

Sows: 65 – 80c/kg DW.

Weekly Slaughterings: Week-ending 25/11/2017 Pigs: 70,316 Sows: 1,972

EU-27 PIGMEAT REFERENCE PRICE WK COMMENCING 20/11/17

Irish price €1.49kg

EU–27 average price €1.45kg

(Grade E pigs – 55% to 60% lean meat excluding VAT but including transport and bonuses).