Current Pig Price Leaving Farmers at a Loss

Both Dawn Pork & Bacon and Stauntons followed the lead of Rosderra and Kepak, and reduced the pig price by a further 4c/kg for this week’s kill. Pig farmers are receiving a pig price as low as €1.40c/kg this week.

While there are a range of prices, with up to €1.44c/kg being paid to regular suppliers, it is clear that every pig leaving an Irish pig farm is losing money. The Irish pig sector has made significant improvements in increasing output, and efficiencies in production over the past few years, through massive financial investment into facilities, equipment, technology, genetics and feed.

The past 3 months of sustained pig price reductions, down to today’s loss-making price, is unsustainable. A stable pig price which allows for this investment on a continued basis is needed to prevent the demise of Ireland’s third largest agricultural sector.

Ireland’s percentage of the EU price has improved and is currently 102% of the EU average price as reported to the EU Commission for the week commencing 08/01/2018.

Factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the week ending January 13th 2018 was 64,754 head which was 13,301 head more than the previous week and 844 less than in the corresponding week in 2017. Slaughtering’s in ROI export plants is 1.1% ahead the same period in 2017.

Export Plants: Top prices on a flat rate basis </= €1.40c/kg in Kepak, Rosderra, Staunton’s and Cookstown and </= €1.42/ €1.44c/kg in Dawn Pork and Bacon.

Sows: 65 – 80c/kg DW.

Weekly Slaughterings: Week-ending 13/01/2018 Pigs: 64,754 Sows: 2,073

EU-27 PIGMEAT REFERENCE PRICE WK COMMENCING 08/01/18

Irish price €1.42kg

EU–27 average price €1.39kg

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