EU Pig Prices: Inconsistency Within the EU
28.02.2013
EU — This week, slaughter pig prices appear to be inconsistent within the EU.
While most of the quotations show an upward trend, the German price has gone down by 3 cents. Some German slaughter companies have, once again, used discounted prices successfully to exert pressure on the producer price. This has been justified by large stocks, weak exports, scanty meat businesses and damage caused by the horse meat scandal.
At the same time, the sales of live animals on offer are very brisk. The Dutch quotation, which normally follows the German price, has been maintaining the price level already achieved. Belgium alone took back last week’s corrected 1.3 cent price increase.
The Austrian quotation, which is usually adjusted towards the German leading quotation, is also unchanged.
In France, the well-balanced market situation has resulted in a marginally upward trend.
The corrected quotation in Spain has risen slightly, cracking the border of 1.80 euros per kg slaughter weight for the first time this year. The quantity of live pigs on offer are not quite sufficient to cover Spanish slaughter companies’ demands.
Trend for the German market: Owing to the latest lowering of prices, the mood in the slaughter pig market has been dampened. The quantities on offer are absorbed completely by the market. The price may be expected to remain unchanged from this latest point of view.
