A positive week for pig farmers with announcements from all factories last Friday of a 4c/kg increase in this week’s pig price. This leaves the majority of suppliers receiving at least €1.80c/kg for their pigs, which when you look at the trends across other European pig exporting countries in recent weeks, is the minimum Irish pig farmers should be receiving.
Supplies remains tight and spot load of pigs have been offered 4c/kg over quotes. Looking ahead, all market analysts predict that demand will increase in the coming weeks and IFA Pigs Chairman Tom Hogan said that with this demand, Irish processors must return the maximum price possible to their suppliers. We cannot afford to be left behind the leading prices being achieved across European. Pig farmers have suffered a terrible period of below cost production with most farmers only now starting to see any recovery in cash flow.