There has been a “modest recovery” in EU pig prices over the past few weeks following a post-Christmas fall in values, according to AHDB Pork.
Prices have increased by the equivalent of 73p over the past four weeks to reach €152.73/100kg (£129.92/100kg) by the week ending February 5, an improvement due to tightening supplies.
As prices at this stage last year saw sharper rises, however, the gap compared to 2016 has continued to narrow. Despite this, prices are still €24 (£20.40) higher than the same week last year.
While the overall trend in recent weeks has produced a rise in average prices, the country-by-country picture remains mixed. Prices in Germany, for example, the most influential EU producing nation fell during the four weeks to February 5, with Danish prig prices also down during that period.
The upturn in average values is therefore due largely to improvements in French and Spanish prices.