Especially Northern European pork drops significantly

Now that the pig market (for now) has settled into stable waters, the new ratios on the European market are becoming clear. In the Netherlands, the price of pork has clearly dropped the most, as evidenced by data from the European Union. Now that the market has remained stable for the second week in a row, it is a good time to consider the new ratios on the European market. Since this week, Eurostat data for week 42 has been made available for most countries. That is the week in which the market stabilized, as evidenced by the DCA pig quotation and the DCA components monitor, which shows a stable picture across the board. The decline can actually only be characterized as very significant. The European pork price has dropped by no less than 17.8% since the summer. In week 26, the average price in the European Union was still €220.23 per 100 kilos, but it has now fallen to €181.05. Significant declines in Northern and Southern EuropeEspecially in Northern Europe, the price of pork has dropped significantly. In Germany, we see a relatively moderate decrease: since the summer, the price there has dropped by 17.5%, slightly below the average European level. In week 42, the price was €180.98 per 100 kilos. In Denmark, the decline was clearly stronger at 21.2%, to €205.41 per 100 kilos. The Netherlands has not yet reported data for week 42, but noted a decline of 25.7% in week 41 to €138.47 per 100 kilos. Although prices in Northern Europe have fluctuated the most, prices in Southern Europe have also dropped significantly. Notably, the decline in France is relatively strong compared to other Southern European countries. Prices in that country have fallen by 16.5% since the peak of this summer to €172 per 100 kilos. In Spain, the price this week is 15% lower than at the summer peak. This is partly due to a rebound in week 42 when the price rose by 2.5% to €189 per 100 kilos. Looking at Italy, we see quite the opposite picture. Prices are not only rising there but are even 16.4% higher than at the lowest point of this summer. The current price is €264.50 per 100 kilos. Despite the larger Northern European pig supply in recent months, slaughter capacity in the area continues to decline. On October 29, a medium-sized German slaughterhouse, Fleischcenter Perleberg, decided to close its doors. The pig processing facility was under Vion until March 2024 but was sold to Uhlen GmbH as part of the company's withdrawal from Germany. Approximately 20,000 pigs were slaughtered weekly at the location. The closure is not an isolated incident. In recent years, several major players, including Danish Crown and Vion, have closed facilities—particularly in northern Germany. Although the supply of meat pigs in Northern Europe has now significantly recovered compared to a year ago, there were regularly moments this year when the slaughter hooks were not fully utilized. The expectation is that slaughterhouses in Northern Europe will further scale back their capacity.