Farmers have expressed their dismay at the refusal of pig processors to increase Irish pig prices for yet another week.
A price increase is fully justified and needs to happen immediately, according to the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).
Speaking at an information meeting in Portlaoise, Co. Laois, on Wednesday (March 7), the chairman of the IFA Pigs Committee, Tom Hogan, called on all processors to reflect the major improvements in the pigmeat trade by increasing producer prices.
A number of factors provide justification for a significant price increase, including a stronger export trade – with Asia and the important Chinese market in particular picking up over recent weeks – tightening supplies of pigs across the EU, and a steady demand for Irish product on the domestic market.
He explained that quotes have remained relatively static in Ireland in recent weeks – at around the €1.40/kg to €1.42/kg mark.
However, in other exporting European pig producing countries – such as Germany and Denmark – prices have experienced “massive improvements” of up to 25c/kg in recent weeks, he added.
Hogan called on all pig processors to increase prices paid to all pig farmers to well in excess of the €1.50/kg “conservative” estimate of the cost of production.
This needs to happen as soon as possible in order for pig enterprises to return to making a profit, he added.
Concluding, Hogan expressed his disappointed that representatives from the pig processors did not attend Wednesday’s information meeting organised by the IFA.