Prices are quoted to be unchanged almost everywhere. In the Netherlands alone the price was corrected slightly downward by 1 cent. In France, last Thursday’s Breton pig auction started another attempt for a price increase, noting a 3.5 cents’ plus as a result. The quotations remained unchanged yet in Sweden and Great Britain, but due to currency fluctuations the corrected prices there rose slightly.

In many EU member countries, the quantities on offer are reported to be decreasing, thus made easily placeable. Reports from Austria say that more and more frozen meat is being relocated which is not at all good for fresh meat sales. It seems that with the market situation as it is currently the storekeepers intend to minimise the price risk they would have to take.

Although many quotations are unchanged, the market situation proves to be much more positive in Southern Europa – with the current price increase in France and that of last week in Italy – than it does in Central Europe. In the South, benefit is made of the summer vacationists’ good appetite as well as of the heat-related decreasing daily growth. So, the exceptionally low slaughter weights are a signal in Spain for scarce quantities on offer. By various European market participants, Germany is being classified as the "brakeman" within the European price structure. The considerable price gap between Germany and countries such as Denmark, France and Spain works as a clear signal to that. Even the bargain offers made by the German slaughter companies are partly regarded as a burden to the domestic price level.

Trend for the German market: Some shifting was caused at the slaughter companies making their own prices by Friday’s steady associated price. While VION goes on following the hard line of their own price of 1.58 euros, Westfleisch is said to have turned in to a level of 1.60 euros. Yet, Danish Crown is a newcomer with 1.58 euros as well. Many livestock dealers and producer associations are expected to match their quantities planning with these prices the current week. Supply and demand being well balanced with each other altogether, the prices are expected to remain steady the week ahead.

Explanation
¹corrected quotation: The official Quotations of the different countries are corrected, so that each quotation has the same base (conditions).
base: 56 per cent lean meat; farm-gate-price; 79 per cent killing out percentage, without value-added-tax (VAT)