Pig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Buildings supplement
    • February 2025
    • 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Pig Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • Innovation supplement 2024
    • Pig & Poultry Fair Guide 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • Buildings Supplement
    • March 2024
    • Pig Nutrition (Beyond Zinc)
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • National Pig Awards Supplement 2023
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • Health Supplement
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
Podcast
Pig WorldPig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    1. May 2025
    2. April 2025
    3. March 2025
    4. 2025 Buildings supplement
    5. February 2025
    6. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    7. January 2025
    8. December 2024
    9. November 2024
    10. National Pig Awards supplement
    11. October 2024
    12. September 2024
    13. August 2024
    14. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    15. July 2024
    16. June 2024
    17. Innovation supplement 2024
    18. Pig & Poultry Fair Guide 2024
    19. May 2024
    20. April 2024
    21. Buildings Supplement
    22. March 2024
    23. Pig Nutrition (Beyond Zinc)
    24. February 2024
    25. January 2024
    26. December 2023
    27. November 2023
    28. National Pig Awards Supplement 2023
    29. October 2023
    30. September 2023
    31. Health Supplement
    Featured

    May 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    May 1, 2025
    Recent

    May 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    May 1, 2025

    April 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    April 4, 2025

    March 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    March 6, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
Comment

It’s a Sin

Peter CrichtonBy Peter CrichtonJanuary 15, 20214 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

Prices continue to tumble with the SPP down by 1.99p to 144.74p and no signs of any recovery yet.

Twelve months ago the SPP stood at 162.5p, compared 144.74p today. Just to add salt to the wound, spot wheat prices a year ago were £148/t compared with £203/t today!

Weekly contribution prices are still coming under pressure and although one of the main players stood on, others could drop by a copper or two with most in the 132 – 135p bracket.

Prices for spot bacon pigs are reported to be dire with very little space available and some deals have been reported at not much more than 110p/kg, but regular sellers might be able to coax 125p/kg where space permits.

The outlook for UK pig prices remains bleak with large numbers of pigs being rolled, some due to ongoing Covid related staffing problems as well as several plant breakdowns, not helped by the extremely high average weights of pigs passing through the killing lines with the latest UK deadweight average at 90.42kg.

Saturday slaughtering may be on the cards to try and get on top of the problem, but pig prices are continuing to slide, mainly due to much cheaper foreign imports, with many producers finding themselves between a rock and a hard place.

The cull sow market is still operating at a trickle rather than a flood with a limited number of export consignments heading for Europe, but in many cases encountering long delays at custom ports in France and Germany which, in some cases, has led to cull sow meat being “out of date” and destined for the skip rather than human consumptions.

Recent falls in the value of the Euro which traded on Friday worth 88.8p compared with 89.9p a week ago, is doing nothing to help on the import / export front.

The weaner market continues to reflect the falling SPP although, once again, the AHDB have not published any average prices, but some RSPCA Assured 7kg piglets are changing hands in the £37 – £40/head range and 30kg weaners are either side of £50/head.

The soaring cost of feed ingredients continues to roll on with futures prices for UK feed wheat quoted at £215/t for February and £171/t for September.

Feed barley remains at something of a discount but is still expensive at £168/t for February delivery.

Protein values are skyrocketing with February Hipro soya meal quoted at £457/t and June – October at £414/t.

And finally, UK exporters are being challenged by Brexit checks hitting pork exports which have brought UK pork exports to an almost complete standstill.

The irony is that with the UK only 55% self sufficient in pig meat, large volumes of cheaper EU pig meat are hitting our industry with no reports of any significant hold ups at the docks on the way here and this contrasts with the slow bureaucratic process involved for exporters.

UK exports to France and adjoining countries are subject to far more stringent checks and according to the NPA at excessive levels.

Veterinary checks at Calais can take almost 24 hours and in some cases pig meat has to be dumped because it is out of date.

As a result a bottleneck of cull sows is building up in the UK, all of which have to be fed on eye wateringly expensive food.

Unless this bureaucracy overload can be limited, the outlook for cull sow exports remains uncertain and no doubt some welfare issues will soon surface.

With the UK pig industry proud of its welfare records, it is a sin that the pig industry could be brought to its knees by these regulations and are a baptism of fire to the post-Brexit era, with the fishing industry experiencing similar problems.

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleAHDB Meat Education Programme student numbers boosted by pandemic
Next Article China’s pork output shows strong signs of recovery
Peter Crichton

Read Similar Stories

Vet View: Step back and look at your unit with external eyes

May 7, 2025

Comment: Pigs Tomorrow – shaping the future of the pig industry

May 5, 2025

Comment: All things Trump, tariffs and international trade

May 2, 2025
Latest News

Red Tractor appoints farmer as chair for the first time

May 23, 2025

US-China trade tensions creating opportunities for Brazil and Europe – RaboResearch

May 23, 2025

AHDB CEO to join Sofina Foods later this year

May 22, 2025
Sponsored Content

THE GATEKEEPER OF RESPIRATORY HEALTH – MYCOPLASMA HYOPNEUMONIAE (M.HYO)

April 30, 2024

Tackle the root cause of PWD with free diagnostic tests

March 1, 2024
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Senior-Level Pig Stockperson – Ref 1742 Norfolk

    • Norfolk
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1471 West Sussex

    • West Sussex
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1740 Norfolk

    • Norfolk
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
GETTING IN TOUCH
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Meet The Editors
  • About Us
  • Email Newsletters
  • Subscribe
  • Reuse permissions
OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
PARTNER EVENTS
RELATED SITES
  • Farmers Weekly
  • Agronomist & Arable Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • National Pig Awards
  • Pigs Tomorrow
  • Poultry News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.