German pig price has gone up by 14c/kg in the past three weeks while Irish pig price continues to lag behind according to the chairman of the Irish Farmers’ Association’s (IFA’s) Pigs Committee, Tom Hogan.
Hogan explained: “The price might seem okay at the moment however the market is returning more and we’re not getting it.
“Farmers are being told by factories that there’s no move and it’s frustrating as the same happened last March.”
Hogan said “pig processors are telling farmers the Chinese return isn’t as good as it seems.
What we see ourselves is that supply in Europe would definitely be tight and the European price is stronger and equally imports would be more expensive.
“While there probably was a good share of product in storage, the domestic market in China has increased.
“When you look at China, it’s just over 12 months since the first African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak and supplies are really tightening up there at the moment
Concluding, Hogan called on processors to up their pig prices and said: “At this stage, relationships are at breaking point and are not as good as they should be with farmers and processors.”