Irish pig prices have moved up again in the past week with reports of some smaller processors and Northern Ireland buyers offering €1.70/kg (£1.44/kg) and above to secure suitable supplies.
According to the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), while base quotes remained similar to last week at €1.62-1.64/kg (£1.38-1.39/kg), a greater number of pigs were killed at deals far in excess of these base prices.
“While factories in the southern part of Ireland seem to be securing sufficient numbers of pigs with limited number of deals above the base level quotes, as you travel north up the country and across the border into Northern Ireland, the competition for pigs and consequentially the price paid increases dramatically,” said IFA pigs committee chairman, Tom Hogan (pictured above).
“Deals for pigs in the region of €1.66/kg-€1.68/kg are common in the midlands and the northern region of the Republic of Ireland. Smaller processors and NI buyers, meanwhile, have offered €1.70/kg and above to secure suitable pigs.”
Mr Hogan duly urged all his pig farming members to “bargain hard” for any increase in pig price this week.
Ireland’s percentage of the EU price is currently 102% of the EU average price, as reported to the EU Commission for the week beginning February 6.
Factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the week ending Feb 11 was 63,746 head which was 543 more than in the corresponding week in 2016. Slaughterings in ROI export plants are currently 2.6% behind the same period in 2016.
