Pig Price Cut Leaves Quotes at or Below Break-even
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 break even price of production at €1.48c/kg – €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 – €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. Its 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.
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 13/11/2017.
Factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the week ending November 18th 2017 was 70,864 head which was 3,360 head more than the previous week and 3,996 more than in the corresponding week in 2016. Slaughterings in ROI export plants is 1% ahead the same period in 2016.
Export Plants: Top prices on a flat rate basis </= €1.48-€1.50c/kg in Kepak and Rosderra and €1.52c/kg – €1.54c/kg in Dawn and Staunton’s.
Sows: 65 – 80c/kg DW.
Weekly Slaughterings: Week-ending 18/11/2017 Pigs: 70,864 Sows: 1,798
EU-27 PIGMEAT REFERENCE PRICE WK COMMENCING 13/11/17
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).
