Irish pig farm leaders are seeking a series of urgent meetings with the country’s processors to discuss current market trends and their “huge frustration” that prices aren’t currently being increased.
The meeting request was revealed by Irish Farmers Association (IFA) pigs committee chairman, Pat O’Flaherty, following what he described as “huge frustration among Irish farmers on Friday last week, with factories refusing to increase prices”.
“There was a strong expectation that prices would increase based on the fact that above average prices were being offered to farmers early in the week,” he said. “However, any official price increase failed to materialise, despite the fact that across the continent, prices were relatively stable.”
Pointing out that EU prices are currently 6% ahead of Irish prices, Mr O’Flaherty (pictured above) said the Association had requested urgent meetings with all processors to discuss the current market trends, as well as future prospects for Irish farmers.
“Although prices have increased since March, this has been from a very low base and farmers need a sustained period of prices above break-even,” he said.
Factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the week ending July 16, 2016 was 62,507 head which was 1,021 more than in the corresponding week in 2015. Slaughterings in ROI export plants is running 5.7% ahead of the same period in 2015.
