The Irish pig price remains stable at €1.56/kg-€1.60/kg. The national ROI pig kill was 75,138 last week, which is continuing the trend of a slight increase over 2019 weekly throughput and the 2020 total pig kill is on track to be 2-3% ahead of last year.
The EU pork industry continues to be under pressure from a number of fronts. ASF in the wild boar population in many eastern European countries, is restricting market access. One wild boar ASF positive case in any country results in important pigmeat customers of European pigmeat, such as China, completely restricting market access. The EU average has dropped to €1.30/kg this week, on the back of these ongoing market access difficulties, combined with Covid-19 issues, in Germany, Holland, Denmark and Belgium in particular. While the recent price reductions are a huge financial hit to every pig farmer, the average for Irish pig price for 2020 is still on track for the best yearly pig price in over 10 years, at an average pig price of €1.68/kg.
Ireland’s percentage of the EU price has improved and is currently 117% of the EU average price as reported to the EU Commission for the week commencing 16/11/2020.
Factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the week ending December 6th 2020 was 75,138 head which was 1428 less than the previous week and 1,942 more than in the corresponding week in 2019.
Export Plants
Top prices on a flat rate basis </= €1.56/kg – €1.58/kg in Rosderra and Kepak </=€1.58/kg – €1.62/kg in Cookstown, </= €1.58/kg – €1.60/kg in Dawn Pork & Bacon and </=€1.56/kg -€ 1.60/kg in Staunton’s.
Sows – €0.46-0.52c/kg DW
Weekly Slaughterings Week-ending 6th December 2020
Pigs: 73,085
Sows: 2,053
EU-27 Pigmeat Reference Price Week Commencing 16th November 2020
Irish price: €1.57kg
EU–27 average price: €1.34kg
(Grade E pigs – 55% to 60% lean meat excluding VAT but including transport and bonuses).
