It’s the same story once again with no change in quotes announced last Friday for this week’s pigs. Anticipation is rising among farmers that the main pig processors will lead the price up 4c/kg this Friday, based on similar increases in European countries and reports that export demand has picked up.
After the Chinese New Year celebrations and holiday period, industry reports have indicated a marked increase in activity from buyers looking for pork from both the EU and Ireland to head East. The much-anticipated increase in demand from China due to both devastating ASF in the pig producing regions, and an international trade dispute with the US, at long last, seems to be coming to reality, albeit at a slower pace than predicted. Last weeks national kill was 68,672, once again below the 70k mark, indicating that demand is starting to exceed supply after months of the reverse.
