Pig price gets another heavy blow

The gloomy scenario hanging over the pig market has become reality. The German pig price is falling sharply and this decline is being followed by Dutch slaughterhouses. The German VEZG quotation is falling by €0.10 to €1.50 per kilo, the lowest level since 2021. In the Netherlands, slaughterhouses are lowering prices by the same order of magnitude. Against the trend The reduction is not a surprise, but for pig farmers the grapes do taste sour. Over the past few days it had already become clear that downward pressure on the market was building. A slight shortage of pigs in the Netherlands provides no support. Rising temperatures and a seasonally declining supply also offer no counterpressure. The problem is that meat sales within Europe are proceeding sluggishly. Prices are under pressure and buyers are undercutting each other to keep sales moving somewhat. With current market expectations and energy costs, there is little appetite to freeze meat. Disruptors Spain and Denmark in particular are disrupting the market. In the first months of this year, both countries exported a quarter more pork within the European Union than last year. On the world market, European sales figures are under pressure because Brazil plays a dominant role there. In neighboring countries, relatively many cull sows are also being offered. This too is not conducive to sentiment in the short term, although in the longer term it may limit the supply of piglets.