Despite all the recent parliamentary ducking and diving, the UK pig meat market has been relatively static with the SPP slipping by a gnats whisker of .13 to stand at 156.79p. And European prices are reported to be holding at similar levels on the week, with the influential German producer price still pegged at €1.85, which has been its value since the 21stAugust.
Contribution prices have held at generally similar levels on the week within the 148-157p range and the spot market continues to be relatively quiet with most pigs being sold under contract, but spot sellers generally receiving bids of between 157-160p depending on who rang who first.
The sow market is also continuing to flatline with most prices standing on despite an easier Euro which traded worth 86.06p on Friday compared with 86.59p seven days earlier.
Cull sow quotes for deliveries into Europe next week have generally remained within a narrow 106-110p range according to load size.
Weaner values have tended to improve with the latest AHDB 7kg ex-farm average increasing by £1.06 to £41.10/head. No AHDB average was available for 30kg weaners, but reports are indicating that sales are being achieved of Red Tractor 30kg weaners at or close to £50/head with RSPCA Assured 30kg weaners in the £55/head region and still looking reasonably good value with feed prices at manageable levels.
UK spot wheat is trading on an ex farm basis at an average of £131.7/t.
UK feed wheat was traded for December delivery on the futures market at £144/t and for September 2020 at £154/t. Barley remains better value at £130/t for December and £141/t for September 2020.
Hipro soya prices have remained generally static with December-April ’20 trading at £295/t and May-October ’20 at £300/t.
And finally, more news on the disease front with the World Organisation for Animal Health indicating that no parts of the planet are safe from the scourge of African Swine Fever.
This deadly virus is playing havoc across 50 countries and several million pigs have been slaughtered as a result.
Whilst it has helped to move up global pig meat prices to a significant extent, there could be catastrophic consequences for the UK if somehow the disease manages to make its way around the large saltwater foot dip we have between ourselves and the rest of the world.
And finally, finally, with only 7 clear slaughtering weeks between now and Christmas, producers should think long and hard about bringing numbers forward to try and prevent any bottlenecks hitting prices over the Christmas and New Year period.
Although the festive season comes around every 12 months it always seems a surprise to us when it actually arrives, so some forward planning with a pencil and a calendar is probably on the cards.
