IFA to Hold National Pig Farmer Meeting
IFA President Tim Cullinan has announced that IFA will hold a national meeting for pig farmers in the Maldron Hotel in Tallaght Dublin next Thurs, 9th February at 3pm.
The meeting is to be addressed by Minister of State Martin Heydon, Chairman of the Pig Roundtable, and will hear presentations from Bord Bia which will cover domestic and export market updates, and pigmeat marketing activities. Teagasc pig development will then present on the outlook for 2023.
“Export markets have been under pressure in January and last Friday marked the second price drop of 4c/kg in the month for pig farmers.”
“The pig industry has demonstrated huge strength and resilience through what has been an extremely difficult period but farmers need prices to move up. The downward price pressure must stop and prices must return to sustainable & economically viable levels,” Tim Cullinan said.
IFA National Pig Committee Chair Roy Gallie said the past 18 months have been among the worst in living memory for the sector, with the average size family farm accumulating losses of circa €600,000 for that period.
“There are real concerns among pig farmers for the sector and for their farms. Pig prices are at record highs, but input costs have soared to unfamiliar territory resulting in prolonged negative margins for producers. This must change,” Roy Gallie said.
The meeting will be held following the elections for the National Pig Committee at 1.45pm.
