Calls have been made for Irish pig processors to apply “a minimum 6c/kg pig price increase” tomorrow, Friday. November 22.
The Irish Farmers’ Association’s (IFA’s) Pig Committee chairman, Tom Hogan, has outlined that judging from EU pig prices, an increase is justified in Ireland and noted that an increase tomorrow “would put average pig price for most pig farmers on the €2/kg mark or above it”.
Hogan explained: “There is such strong demand from China. The Chinese are more or less paying €3/kg just for a split carcass.
In 1996 pig meat peaked at £1.56. It would be a record price that pigs are currently at.
Hogan added that the current pig price is at a record high but acknowledged that pig farmers are just coming out of a prolonged low price period.
‘Substantial beef increase’
The IFA pigs chairman also outlined that he is anticipating “a substantial increase in beef prices come February or March next year” because there is such a protein deficit.
Cullinan
Also commenting on the current pig trade, IFA presidential candidate and Tipperary pig farmer Tim Cullinan noted: “I stated in Moneygall back in April that pigs should reach €2/kg and now they have.
Also Read: Mounting frustration evident at national pig farmer meeting“It’s taken us 20 years to get there and we want to maintain it. We’re very concerned about the threat of African Swine Fever (ASF).
ASF is currently present in eastern Europe and I’m calling on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, and his officials to do everything in their power to keep it out of our country.
Concluding, Cullinan added: “What’s driving this rise is our export markets. There’s a deficit of 25 million tonnes of protein now in the world market.”