Demand for pigs on the domestic market in Ireland is “picking up” according the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).
“Reports from farmers suggest that factories are now cutting deals to ensure a steady supply of pigs for the coming weeks,” said IFA pigs committee chairman, Pat O’Flaherty, adding that a slight decline in slaughter numbers in the past week was “creating competition for pigs again”.
IFA also noted that rising prices in Germany, on the back of an “anticipated barbeque demand” was also having an influence on the Irish market where prices for the week ending May 16, were 104% of the EU average.
The association promptly responded to the prices and demand upturn by calling on factories to “officially increase prices this week across the board” and to narrow the price gap that currently exits.
Factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the week to May 16 was 61,553 head, which was 5,832 more than in the corresponding week in 2014.
