Pork prices stabilize while piglet market remains difficult

Contrary to the expectations of rising prices in spring, both pork and piglet prices have been under pressure in recent weeks. While pork prices appear to have found a floor for now, piglet prices continue to decline. However, the pace of decline has slowed compared to the sharp corrections seen earlier.The DCA EU-6 Pork Price Index remained broadly stable this week at €1.53 per kilo. German pig prices continue to trade at the highest level within the index at €1.60 per kilo and have remained unchanged from week 20 through week 23. Denmark is at the lower end of the market with prices at €1.29 per kilo.Poland was the only country to report a further decline this week, with pig prices falling by €0.03 to €1.54 per kilo. Yet, compared to the larger corrections seen in recent weeks, this decrease was relatively modest and may indicate that the market is moving towards a period of stabilization. Although pork supplies remain ample across Europe, improving weather conditions could provide some support to seasonal demand in the coming weeks. So far, however, this has not translated into higher prices.On the other hand, the piglet market remains in a difficult situation. The DCA EU-5 Piglet Price Index fell further this week to €49.80 per head and prices may still face additional declines in the coming weeks. Supply continues to exceed demand, while pig fattening farmers remain reluctant to place more piglets due to disappointing returns and limited confidence in the market. At the same time, export demand remains weak, adding further pressure to the market.However, price declines are becoming less steep compared to previous weeks. Belgian piglet prices declined by €2 to €39 per piglet in week 22, while the Dutch DCA BestPigletPrice decreased by €2.50 to €43 per piglet. Spanish piglet prices also fell by €2 to €40 per piglet, while German piglet prices remained stable at €52 per piglet. This suggests that the pace of price declines is slowing down, although there are still no clear signs of stabilization in the piglet market.