Irish pig farming leaders say they are “extremely dissatisfied” that new retail figures show a reduction in shelf space for Bord Bia Quality Assurance (QA) pork and rashers.
“We will be raising this with all the retailers in question,” said Irish Farmers Association (IFA) pigs committee chairman, Pat O’Flaherty, commenting on the results of the latest QA audit which definitely indicated that Irish pork and rashers on the retail shelves “dipped in quarter two”.
Turning to the state of the wider pigmeat market, Mr O’Flaherty said prices on the domestic market remained stable this week.
“However, pig farmers badly need a price lift to overcome the negative margins endured over the past six months,” he said, commenting that a hint of stability returned to the European market this week with prices rising in France, Germany and Belgium.
Prices in Ireland for the week beginning June 29, meanwhile, operated at 106% of the EU average.