There was great hope and optimism among all pig farmers that the Irish pig price would increase in line with the market outlook and predictions last Friday. The early news from both Southern based pig processors, Staunton’s in West Cork and Dawn Pork & Bacon was expected and welcomed when they informed their suppliers of a 4 cent per kilo increase for this week’s pigs. Suppliers to both Rosderra and Kepak were left bitterly disappointed with the news that they would receive no increase in this week’s price.
The Chairman of the IFA Pigs Committee Roy Gallie has called on both Rosderra and Kepak, to meet what others in the market are paying as a matter of urgency. There is currently a price differential between the north of the country and the southern regions of 8c/kg. In a week when the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine has convened the inaugural Pig Roundtable meeting chaired by Minister Martin Hayden, the IFA Chairman again said that these two processors must align themselves with the rest of the country and raise the pig price this Friday.
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 17/4/2021.
Factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the week ending 25th April 2021 was 73,173 head which was 1,815 less than the previous week and 7,743 more than in the corresponding week in 2020.
Export Plants
Top prices on a flat rate basis </= €1.64/kg-€1.68/kg in Rosderra and Kepak </= €1.68/kg-€1.74/kg in Staunton’s, >/= €1.70/kg-€1.74/kg in Dawn Pork & Bacon and </=€1.68/kg – €1.72/kg in Karro (Cookstown).
Sows
€0.84-€0.93/kg DW.
Weekly Slaughtering’s Week-ending 25/4/21
Pigs: 71,368
Sows: 1,805
EU-27 Pigmeat Reference Price Wk Commencing 17/4/21
Irish price: €1.63kg
EU–27 average price: €1.57kg
(Grade E pigs – 55% to 60% lean meat excluding VAT but including transport and bonuses).
