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
    • July 2025
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Buildings supplement
    • February 2025
    • 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Pig Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • 2024 Buildings Supplement
    • March 2024
    • 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    • 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. July 2025
    2. June 2025
    3. 2025 Innovation supplement
    4. May 2025
    5. April 2025
    6. March 2025
    7. 2025 Buildings supplement
    8. February 2025
    9. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    10. January 2025
    11. December 2024
    12. November 2024
    13. 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    14. October 2024
    15. September 2024
    16. August 2024
    17. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    18. July 2024
    19. June 2024
    20. 2024 Innovation supplement
    21. 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    22. May 2024
    23. April 2024
    24. 2024 Buildings Supplement
    25. March 2024
    26. 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    27. February 2024
    28. January 2024
    29. December 2023
    30. November 2023
    31. 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    32. October 2023
    33. September 2023
    34. Health Supplement
    Featured

    July 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    July 6, 2025
    Recent

    July 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    July 6, 2025

    June 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    June 4, 2025

    2025 Innovation supplement now available

    June 4, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
Comment

When the Piper Calls

Peter CrichtonBy Peter CrichtonMarch 29, 20193 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

Further significant improvements in the influential German pig price are turning bears into bulls with the influential German pig price rising for the third week running by a whopping 10 cents to stand at €1.60 compared with €1.40.

The current German price works out at 137.25p in our money which is almost exactly the same as the SPP and a very encouraging sign for hard pressed UK pig producers and their bank managers but don’t mention the war!

Although the benefit of higher global pig prices has yet to filter through to the UK to any great degree as far as the SPP is concerned, which went up .19p to 137.96p, there are signs that we could see something of a “spike” emerging soon as pig meat prices follow an upward track.

Weekly contribution prices are up by a copper in some places and stand on in others and these need to be corrected with most still between 125p and 129p whereas it was difficult to buy spot pigs at anything less than 134p and these contribution prices are well adrift of current market levels and need to move upwards.

Spot bacon was generally traded in the 134p-136p range and will soon be on par with SPP values.

With the Euro barely unchanged, worth 85.78p on Friday, most cull bids have moved up again by another 7p and are now nudging up towards the 80p mark.

Weaner prices are also less depressed than they were with the latest AHDB 7kg average quoted at £35.45 but no figure has been produced by the AHDB for 30kg weaners due to an insufficient sample.

Grain futures prices have remained at generally similar levels with London feed wheat quoted for May at £164.10/t and November at £148.6/t.

Spot ex farm UK wheat values have however improved by a couple of pounds over the week with the latest average price published at £162.70/t.

UK high pro soya prices are continuing to ease, trading between £290-£294/t for May-October 2019 and £296-£300 for November-April 2020. Rape meal prices are also a shade easier around £190/t mark for May-July 2019 and £183-£184 for August-October 2019.

And finally, more evidence is emerging of the seriousness of the situation in China with reports from the Chinese Agricultural Ministry that their overall pig herd has dropped by 17% in February on a year on year basis and sow numbers have actually fallen by a massive 19%.

As China is the world’s largest pig producer, with over 112 reported outbreaks of ASF in 28 provinces the signs are that the number of outbreaks could climb much higher than this and estimates that between 30-50% of Chinese pig farms have been affected.

Sad times for Chinese pig farmers but better news for the global price of pork, and a case of “every cloud having a silver lining”.

And finally, although March 29 was intended to be the last day of UK membership of the EU this no longer appears to be the case and it is difficult to work out if this is a good or a bad sign as far as the pig industry is concerned but hopefully like the curate’s egg, good in parts.

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleNFU Scotland analyses December’s Agricultural Census
Next Article A relatively trouble-free week for processors and producers
Peter Crichton

Read Similar Stories

Comment: British pork reimagined: Data-led marketing for a changing consumer

July 9, 2025

Comment: Market recovery, export growth and on-farm innovation

July 7, 2025

Comment: Encouraging signs as big pig issues discussed in parliament

July 4, 2025
Latest News

Who has gone the extra mile? Nominate 2025 Chris Brant Award winner now

July 14, 2025

ABN kicks off pioneering long-term mill project

July 11, 2025

Red Tractor to press ahead with new tiers for outdoor pig producers

July 10, 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
  • Assistant Pig Farm Manager – Ref 1761 Leicestershire

    • Leicestershire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Senior-Level Pig Stockperson – Ref 1760 Hampshire

    • Hampshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1759 North Yorkshire

    • North Yorkshire
    • 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
  • Weekly Tribune
  • 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.