The national pig kill was 66,520 last week, indicating that the supply of finished animals remains tight and this is borne out with good demand from all factories for every pig.
While prices in both Ireland and across Europe have stabilised at levels between €1.70 and €1.80c/kg over the past two weeks, the outlook remains very positive with demand from China expected to increase over the coming months. The full effects of the devastation that African Swine Fever (ASF) has had on the Chinese pig population is now translating into a massive shortfall in domestic pork production. Following a number of meetings and calls from the IFA for increased awareness and heightened biosecurity at all points of entry into Ireland, the past week has seen the Department of Agriculture increase visibility regarding the ASF threat at airports, online and across media.
