Pig Meat Imports Two Per Cent Cheaper
UK - Although the DAPP put on a respectable 1.21p this week to stand at 146.28p, with the notable exception of Gills who rose by 1p and are now joint leaders of the shout price table for the first time, all of the other contenders stood on, writes Peter Crichton.
7 November 2011
3 minute read
The league tables reads:
Equal 1st Gills and Woodhead 148p
Next Tulip 146p
Last Cranswick and Vion 145p
The recent turmoil in the eurozone countries and the current Greek tragedy being played out in Athens has done nothing to settle the euro which closed on Friday afternoon as low as 85.83p compared with 87.81p a week earlier.
This effectively means that those dreaded pigmeat imports are now another 2 per cent cheaper and may be one of the reasons why spot buyers could not be persuaded to lift their bids after several weeks of rising prices.
Most spot bacon was traded in the 147p–150p range according to specification, but it was quite difficult to get anything higher than this although pig numbers are not in oversupply and despite the upcoming Christmas period, it looks as though supply and demand should remain more or less in step for once.
Despite a falling euro the cull sow market continues to power ahead helped by firm European prices as well as stronger competition between a rising number of United Kingdom export abattoirs competing for slightly tighter numbers with fewer reports of major herd culls taking place now that some financial equilibrium is returning to the United Kingdom pig market.
As a result sellers with large loads of cull sows were able to negotiate prices in the 114p–117p range according to specification and kill-out percentage and loads of heavy sows are now averaging close to the 3200 per head mark, so producers looking to re-stock herds can probably get 1.5 gilts for every sow rather than the other way round.
Weaner prices are also showing a steady improvement with the latest Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board 30kg ex-farm average rising to a still comparatively modest 341.28/head, but premiums are now available for Freedom Food 30kg weaners as well as a better uptake of 7kg weaners suitable for spring finishing.
Cereal prices also appear to have reached something of a plateau with ex-farm feed wheat currently quoted at 3143.60 per tonne and November LIFFE wheat traded at 3151.50 per tonne. Although this is still too dear in relation to pig prices, the situation is much more favourable than last May when ex-farm feed wheat was costing almost 3200 per tonne.
