Pig Feed Millers – Poor Buyers or Opportunists?

IFA National Pigs and Pig meat Committee Chairman Pat O’Flaherty said that a small number of millers have made an attempt to increase prices which means that the Teagasc feed monitor in May increased marginally this month.

O’Flaherty said “If the reason behind this is poor purchasing, it is inexcusable for a professional industry to not move to cover themselves at sensible prices as they are fully aware of how inelastic pig prices are in relation to increasing feed prices. Pig farmers who are home milling must make these decisions to enable them to operate effectively and it must be questioned how pig farmers can buy right when some millers can’t”.

“If this is simply opportunistic, and millers are attempting to make a quick buck off the back of the pig farmers who support the milling trade 365 days per year, it is very ill advised as pig farmers have endured the worst 5 years ever in terms of profitability and production challenges and any opportunistic moves to effectively steal producers margin will only serve to leave the industry uncompetitive” Mr. O’Flaherty concluded.

 

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