Irish pig farmers are keeping the pressure on the country’s processors with protests over both low producer prices and the sourcing of imported pigmeat.
Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) pigs committee chairman, Pat O’Flaherty, said that his pig farming members were currently receiving less than 20% of the retail price and were being forced to sell their produce at 20c/kg (15p/kg) below the cost of production.
He also reported that Irish farmers had “vented their anger” outside the gates of Kerry Foods on Friday last week, where they accused companies that trade on their Irish brands of failing pig producers by using imported pigmeat.
“Pig farmers are insisting that companies with Irish brands use 100% Bord Bia Quality Assured pigmeat in their products,” said the association, while also calling on retailers to pass back a greater percentage of their margin to producers.
Irish pigmeat prices are currently 106% of the EU average price as reported to the European Commission for the week beginning February 15.