The chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) Pigs Committee has said that pig farmers are still waiting for an increase in price from secondary processors.
Last week, Roy Gallie said that commitments were given by a number of the companies to pass back price increases coming from primary processors.
It followed a series of protests undertaken by the farming organisation last Tuesday (May 10) at several locations around the country.
“We didn’t get anything last week, nothing came at all. But then the stipulation was that we said we were looking for it by the end of the month. It would be nice to get some of it before that, but nothing came,” Gallie told Agriland.
“It’s essential for the survival of this industry. That’s for absolute certain. No white smoke yet but we hope for some before the end of the month.
“So we’re still looking for support from the secondary processors. There’s going to be more engagement,” Gallie said.
The IFA Pigs chair outlined that he has further meetings scheduled with processors this week to impress on them the need to increase prices for struggling pig farmers.
The association previously said that producers need €2/kg from the market place, a 30c/kg increase by the end of the month, otherwise the industry is in danger of extinction.
The IFA Pigs chair did not rule out further protests if the processors did not come forward with a price increase by the end of May.
Gallie said that more engagement will also be needed with the retail sector as that is where the price increase will ultimately come from.
Current indications suggest that the situation facing pig farmers will not improve for a number of months yet.
“We need to have a decrease of [pigmeat] supply right across Europe for anything to come through from the marketplace, because it’s only a deficit marketplace that’s going to have a price rise in it,” the IFA chair said.