New pig breeding figures from Poland appear to be “the first sign that low pig prices are starting to have an impact on EU herds” according to BPEX.
Quoting provisional figures published by the Central Statistical Office, BPEX reports that the Polish pig breeding herd on March 1, 2015, was 4% smaller than a year earlier.
“In the last couple of years, the number of sows in Poland appeared to have stabilised, having fallen steadily since EU accession,” said BPEX.
“Therefore, the latest drop may be a first sign that low pig prices are starting to have an impact on EU herds, although African Swine Fever outbreaks may have contributed too.”
Adding that if this kind of fall is replicated across other member states, it could lead to a “tightening of supplies later in the year”, BPEX points out that the drop in Polish sow numbers is a relatively recent development, as piglet numbers were 4% higher than in March 2014, indicating little change in the number of sows which farrowed in early 2015.