The pigmeat market situation in Ireland has worsened again with the country now running just 1% above the average EU price, according the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).
The IFA expressed its annoyance that producers were being forced to accept a fall in pig prices from plants that one week ago had decided they didn’t need to drop prices but have now done so. The Association claimed that was merely “following their compatriots” who cut prices earlier.Â
“The current situation is completely untenable,” said IFA pigs committee chairman, Pat O’Flaherty, adding that although Irish prices had started the year 6% ahead of the EU average they were now on 101% of the EU figure.
He added that such an advantage would normally be something to celebrate but not when the EU price itself was so poor. Â As it was, he said that EU farmers were losing out and so were Irish farmers.
The IFA reported factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the short week ending January 3, 2015, to have been 43,407 head. That was 26,806 head more than in the previous week but 1,682 less than in the corresponding week in 2014. That means slaughterings in ROI export plants are now running 3.7% behind the same period in 2014.