The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has slammed some of the country’s processors for dropping their prices to pig producers by 4c/kg (3p/kg).
The Association’s national pigs committee chairman, Pat O’Flaherty, said he was “outraged by the decision”.
“These most recent price cuts will leave some farmers with no option but to cease producing pigs,” he added.
The IFA also called on other players in the industry, including millers, to support farmers during this current crisis by fairly reducing compound feed prices in line with reductions in raw materials.
Ireland is currently operating at 106% of the EU average price for pigs, as reported by the European Commission.
Factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland (ROI) export plants for the week ending February 13, as reported by IFA, was 63,203 head, which was 3,093 more than in the corresponding week in 2015. Slaughtering’s in ROI export plants is currently 10.6% ahead of the same period in 2015.