2019 started on the Spanish market with differences compared to previous years. The heavy weights encountered at the beginning of 2018, this year have been absorbed much earlier.

Last week, the live weight in Spain was 113.23kg compared to the 114.94kg a year ago.

This week the weight had fallen to 112.30kg compared to 114.18kg in 2018 (87.03kg and 87.16kg carcass weight respectively).

Germany, Holland, France and the rest of the EU, all have heavier weights than a year ago.

After three months, last week, Spain quoted at the level of Germany. This week has risen again until 1.112€/kg of live weight. Now prices are above those of a year ago and higher, compared with price received by producers in Germany and France.

February was complicated. There is less weight and less pigs production , which would have to raise the price for the producer, but the meat market is afraid to lose competitiveness on exports.

The lack of pigs is going to become even more complicated, as soon as the Italian group Pini will begin to operate their new facilities in Binefar (Huesca). Expected to happen this spring. In the first phase about 3 million pigs will be slaughtered per year, which could be increased to 6 million when the slaughterhouse works at full capacity.

With all that is happening, it is difficult to foresee what will happen with the prices.

Labelling of Duroc. PAED Program

The Spanish pig sector is committed to a voluntary program to control the labelling of Duroc: PAED Program.

Yesterday, the Spanish pork sector took a very important step in the recognition of pork meat quality, and presented to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the Duroc Labelling Self-Control Program (PAED).

This is a program owned by the associations ANPROGAPOR (Association Nation of Producers of Porcine), ANPS (National Association of Producers of Selected) and FECIC (Business Federation of Meats and Meat Industries).

The objective of this Program is to carry out a control by an external entity, which will guarantees that the meat and meat products that include the "Duroc" mention comply with the current labelling legislation and with the requirements of this program. One of the requirements - at least one of the parents has to be purebred Duroc. The label will show "Duroc" and the racial percentage of it.

It is a voluntary programme, in which the members of the whole food chain are involved, from producers to meat processing facilities.