The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has called on Irish processors to increase the price paid to Irish pig farmers for next week’s pigs.
Chair of the IFA National Pigs Committee, Roy Gallie said: “The current EU average pig price is rising and the Irish price must move further to return to pig farmers a price they justly deserve for their pigs, to well over the EU average.”
The European average price recorded by the European Commission for week 12 was €2.33/kg.
According to the IFA, there were further increases across Europe again this week bringing the average price further up, while the Irish price remained at an average of €2.28/kg.
“There is full justification for a further substantial rise in pig price for next week’s pigs,” Gallie said.
The association stated that Irish pig farmers have accrued “huge losses over the past 18 months and while pig prices are on the rise, we need to ensure the Irish pig price takes back its position ahead of the European average price to give farmers the increase in return they very much need”.
The Irish pig price must rise above the EU average and even further, if the survival of the Irish pig sector is to be safe-guarded, the IFA has stressed.
“Pig numbers are scarce here and across Europe so we are calling on our processors to continue to move the price paid to farmers upwards this Friday,” Gallie continued.
“Farmers must put pressure on their processors to ensure this is acted upon,” he said.