EU pork production down, prices down
Pork production in the EU was 8% down, at 11.9Mt, over the first seven months of this year, the second successive year of significant decline.
The production figure for January to July was also 10% down on the five-year average. The EU Commission’s latest forecast is for pig meat production in 2023 to end the year down 6.6%.
Production in all key producing countries has fallen year on year, with the largest declines in Germany of 236,000t (-9%), and Denmark down 202,000t (-21%). Volumes in Spain and the Netherlands were down between 143−144,000t from the same time last year, down 5% and 15% respectively.
These drops were driven by large reductions in slaughter levels. EU throughputs totalled 126.1m head in the year to July, with slaughter in key producing countries down similar percentages to production.
Lower supplies in the EU have led to significant growth in prices across the EU over the past few months over the spring and summer . However, prices have declined from these highs down to an average of 196.4p/kg for the 4 weeks ending October 1, as demand has eased.
This is a fall of 5.8p from the previous four-week period, and down nearly 20p from highs seen towards the end of July, with weak demand at home and internationally seen as the main driver.
Alistair Driver | Pig World
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