Weekly pig prices and slaughter data for Great Britain.
The EU-spec SPP dropped back by 0.47p to stand at 209.42p/kg during the week ended July 20, more than cancelling out the 0.38p gained the previous week.
The fall continues the recent a sequence of SPP increases followed by larger drops, meaning the price index has lost 2p since the beginning of June and 3p since the beginning of the year. It is now 15.6p below a year ago when the price index was nearing its peak.
The APP, which includes premium pigs, lost 0.6p during the week ended July 13 to stand at 212.28p/kg, after gains of 0.46p over the previous three weeks. This left it 2.86p ahead of the SPP for the week.
The European reference price (grade E) continues its decline, falling by another 3p during the week ended July 14 to stand at 181.66p/kg, expanding the gap to the equivalent UK reference price to nearly 28p, the biggest gap for some time. This was mainly on the back of reductions in Germany, Spain and Poland.
Estimated GB slaughterings for the week ended July 13 were up by nearly 10,000 on the previous week to 156,615 head, which was just 800 down on last year, but 33,000 below the 2022 figure.
However, these figures remain very much subject to revision amid ongoing uncertainty over Defra UK figures. AHDB notes that: “Due to an ongoing query regarding the June 2024 Defra slaughterings, clean pig figures for June and July 2024 are still being weighted by the Defra May 2024 figure.”
Average carcase weights increased fell by nearly 0.6kg to 90.23kg in the SPP sample during the week ended July 20, 1.3kg higher than the same week in 2023.
London feed wheat futures was quoted by AHDB on July 17 at £195.50/t for November 2024, £4 up on the week.
To see the weekly price graphs, click here.