Now BPEX is putting the average prices pain on its website to help producers keep up with what is happening in the market.

Prices are currently running at around 126p per kg dw which is nearly double what they were at the beginning of the year, having risen almost every week.

AHDBMS senior market analyst Sue Fisher said: "Strong demand for sow meat on the Continent is continuing to drive the price higher.

"In the first six months of 2008, UK exports of carcase meat (primarily sow carcases) were up 4,000 tonnes on the same period last year to 21,000 tonnes.

"The export trade in sow meat has been important to the British pig industry for many years with the majority going to Germany and the Netherlands.

"This new service from BPEX will help pig farmers keep abreast of exactly what is happening in the sow market and the figures will be updated every Friday."

The price can be accessed through the Market Intelligence section of the BPEX website, www.bpex.org.uk, under the sub-section data.