Pig Price Cut Totally Unwarranted

Disappointing news for all pig farmers last Friday with the announcement by pig processors of a 4c/kg reduction to be imposed on this week’s pig price. This leaves the average pig price in the region of €1.58c/kg. 

IFA Pigs Chairman Tom Hogan said that pig farmers were very disillusioned by the severity of the recent price cuts and he said that explanations given by procurement managers didn’t warrant anything like the price reduction which Irish pig farmers have had imposed upon them.

He called on the pig processing sector to recognise the need for stability and the fundamental need for a sustained period of positive margins to allow pig farmers to fill the financial holes that were left in 2015-16.

Ireland’s percentage of the EU price has improved and is currently 96% of the EU average price as reported to the EU Commission for the week commencing 18/09/2017.

Factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the week ending September 23rd 2017 was 63,562 head which 330 head more than the previous week and 2,302 more than in the corresponding week in 2016.   Slaughterings in ROI export plants are 0.3% behind the same period in 2016.

Export Plants:  Top prices on a flat rate basis </= €158 cent/kg in Dawn, Staunton’s Kepak and Rosderra and </= 160 cent/kg in Karro.

Sows:   95 – 110c/kg DW.

Weekly Slaughterings Week-ending 23/09/2017 Pigs: 63,562 Sows: 1,678

EU-27 PIGMEAT REFERENCE PRICE WK COMMENCING 18/09/17

Irish price                                            €1.57kg

EU–27 average price                         €1.63kg

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

Related Articles