Irish pig farm leaders have welcomed a price increase this week which was “passed back” by two processors, but with questions about why others haven’t done the same.
While voicing producers’ “general welcome”, for the rise, Irish Farmers Association (IFA) pigs committee chairman, Pat O’Flaherty, went on to “query” why the 4c/kg (3p/kg) increase in pig prices passed back by Dawn & Stauntons this week, was possible for some companies but “not all”.
“The Irish price is getting progressively closer to the very poor EU average and there is massive dissatisfaction with the plants that did not increase as a price increase is vital at this point to keep farmers in business,” he said.Â
“EU prices are now increasing weekly as EU numbers fall and Ireland is now just 3c/kg ahead of the EU average.”
IFA also reported that factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the week ending February 7, Â 2015, was 60,110 head which was 100 head more than in the previous week and 4,367 more than in the corresponding week in 2014. Slaughterings in ROI export plants is 5.7% ahead of the same period in 2014. Â