A meeting for pig farmers will be held in Portlaoise, Co. Laois next week following a recent "very significant drop" in prices.

The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) is organising what it calls a 'national pig farmers meeting' in the Killeshin Hotel in the town, which will take place on Monday (September 29).

The IFA said the meeting it taking place to address "the erosion of confidence among pig farmers following very significant drops in pig price".

Michael Caffrey, the IFA's Pig Committee chairperson, said ahead of the meeting: "Farmers have endured price cuts totaling 32c/kg since July, bringing returns dangerously close to breakeven levels. Drops of this magnitude are unprecedented.

"Combined with rising costs and new regulations, confidence in the sector is being seriously undermined at a time when prices should be moving in the opposite direction to secure the future of our farmers," Caffrey added.

According to the IFA, pig prices have fallen in recent weeks across Europe, while Chinese tariffs of up to 62% on EU pigmeat, including 20% on Irish pigmeat exports, have added further pressure.

The farm organisation said that farmers are also contending with increasing compliance and regulatory costs, labour pressures, and environmental requirements.

The meeting on Monday will include speakers from Bord Bia, Teagasc, and the nitrates division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Caffrey said: "After only two years of recovery from the 2021 to 2023 pig crisis, farmers are once again operating very close to breakeven levels.

"To safeguard the sector, we need a price path that delivers long-term sustainability, which means farmgate prices that will ensure pig farm profitability," he added.

The meeting is set to begin at 3:00p.m. and will give farmers the chance to voice their concerns about the future of the sector, the IFA said.

Earlier this month, China announced new duties on its imports of pork from a raft of EU pig processors, including a number of Irish companies.

The country's Ministry of Commerce announced the tariffs as part of what it called a 'preliminary ruling' on its anti-dumping investigation into EU pork and pork by-products.

That investigation has been part of wider trade tensions over the last year or so that also concerns EU dairy products and Chinese electric vehicles.

The Irish companies listed include Rosderra; Dawn Pork and Bacon; Staunton Foods; and McCarren Meat (part of Kepak).

The products from these Irish businesses will be subject to a duty of 20% when they enter China.

These duties took effect from September 10.