Global prices starting to pick up

Having reached their lowest point for many years earlier in 2016, global pork export prices have started to pick up more recently.

Although not perfect, export prices give a good indication of how farmgate prices will have developed on a global basis. Having started the year at a fraction over US$2.30 per kg, the average value of pork traded from the four major global exporters (EU, US, Canada and Brazil) reached $2.52 in June. This was the highest level since last October but was still 12 cents below June 2015.

Some tightening of supplies has been seen across the major exporting countries, contributing to the rise in prices, although this is not reflected in the amount of pork traded, which has been at record levels during the last three months. So far this year, 2.77 million tonnes of pork has been shipped by the four exporters, 29% more than in the first half of 2015.

More recent reports show that, as in the EU, prices in the US, Canada and Brazil had all moved above year earlier levels by July. North American prices reached their highest level since the end of the PEDv price peak in 2014, although they have eased back in the last few weeks as supplies are reported to have increased.