Hog Market

Since 31st of July, the hog market has lost 0.31 € per kg carcass to be at 2.04 € currently. Many reasons of this decrease: inflation, mixed weather during the month of August, a loss of competitiveness on the major export markets…

The situations are very similar in other European countries for the same reasons: decrease of 0.20 € per kg in Germany since the 26 of July 26. -0.17 € per kg liveweight in Spain since the 27 of July, -0.21 € per kg liveweight in Belgium since 26 of July, -0.17 € per kg liveweight in Netherlands since 21st of July.

SPACE 2023

Last week took place SPACE livestock production show, for the 37th year in Rennes, France. This year, according to the organizers, there were 1200 exhibitors and about 90 700 visitors.

As every year, Genesus had a booth, and these are our observations for 2023 :

• SPACE is a very well organized and professional show. No doubt about that.

• If we compare to previous years, there are less and less visitors. About 90 700 visitors this year and close to 110 000 visitors few years ago.

• There were many international exhibitors and many of them from China. It is something new.

• We have seen some international visitors, especially from Africa. Some African producers we talked to told us they were seeking to improve their genetics. They were unanimous, they need robust and strong genetics. Genesus genetics fit very well their expectation.

• We met and talked also to many French pig producers. Most of them are positive regarding current economic situation. One of our customer told me “to be honest with a market price over 2 € per kg carcass, even if feed price is still high, it would be difficult not to be happy”. For most of the pig producers, the market is currently profitable. Nevertheless, many producers are wondering about the future. First and always the labor shortage and the difficulty to hire good employees to work in their farm. Another wondering is about the change in French pig industry. The industry is contracting, the number of producers is decreasing and of course the number of suppliers too. Some cooperatives merge together and the strongest cooperatives who will be there tomorrow are the ones who have their own brands and who own packing plants, the ones who make money.

• More and more pigs are sold uncastrated it is why now the French market will have a different price for intact males and barrows.

• Today in France, market pigs are paid regarding their weight (carcasse weight) and their lean meat percentage (Image meater or Fat-O-Meater method). The leaner the pig is (especially low backfat), the more expensive it is paid. The lean is the opposite of a tasty pork with high marbling. That’s means, the French market, by encouraging ever leaner pigs, promote a non tasty pork. The good news is that currently the French industry is considering having different prices regarding meat quality. The big question will be, what does means meat quality ? Does it means marbling ? pH ? meat texture ? A professional on this subject told me it won’t be possible to scan pigs on marbling on slaughter line because it will take too much time. So, the question will be how to define meat quality ?