The chairman of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) Pigs Committee has expressed his concern at the ongoing staffing issues both on pig farms and in pig processing facilities.
IFA Pigs Committee chairman, Roy Gallie, has outlined that while staffing issues are a cause for concern in Ireland, the issue “is exacerbated in the north of Ireland”.
Gallie noted that one northern-based pig processor is finding it extremely difficult to butcher and de-bone the carcasses, due to the lack of suitably skilled staff.
Gallie added: “With feed cost where it is at the moment, break-even on a pig is somewhere above the €1.60/kg region.
“It is a frightening situation. Not only can some farmers not get their pigs killed, but where they can negotiate to have them slaughtered, they are getting well below the break-even price. This has now turned into a damage limitation exercise for some farmers.
Continuing, he added: “Labour is a big issue on farms currently as well, with staff moving to other industries. We need work permits fast-tracked immediately because there are pigs backing up on the live conveyor belt that is a pig farm, at an alarming rate.”
Why is the price of pigs dropping?
Gallie explained the drop in pig prices is coming as a result of a combination of factors.
Firstly, he noted that the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in China – which initially caused the Irish pig price to surge – has caused turmoil in the international trade for pigmeat.
A number of ASF outbreaks then occurred on mainland Europe and Gallie noted that one outbreak occurred in a region near the German/Polish border.
The IFA Pigs Committee chairperson explained: “As a precaution, China decided to stop importing pigs from Germany so, as a result, German pork began to come on the European market in greater volumes.”
Compounding the above problems, Gallie added that Covid-19 issues also caused staffing shortages in factories across Europe and this, combined with China’s market movement, “is leaving an oversupply in Europe which is causing pork prices to drop”.
Concluding Gallie noted: “ASF, Covid-19, Brexit-induced labour shortages as well as soaring feed prices, are all combining to create a very difficult situation for pig farmers, all of which is completely outside the farmer’s control.”