Irish Pig Prices Climb Amid Tight Supplies
Deadweight pig prices in Ireland are currently experiencing an upward trend, driven by relatively tight supplies available for slaughter.
The past week saw an increase of 2 cents per kilogram in Irish pig prices, with producers reporting an average price of €2.20 per kilogram offered by processors. Some producers have indicated receiving prices even higher, in the range of 6-7 cents per kilogram above the average, suggesting strong demand for pigs.
The average reported price paid for Grade E pigs in Ireland for the week ending April 20th, 2025, was €2.14 per kilogram, excluding VAT. The current Irish price reflects a 3.7% increase compared to the same week last year, when the Grade E pig price stood at €2.07 per kilogram.
Across the European Union, the average price for a Grade E pig carcass for the week ending April 20th, 2025, was €2.00 per kilogram, excluding VAT. This represents a slight increase of 2.9% compared to the previous week’s EU average. However, the current EU average remains below the prices seen during the same month last year, when the average pig price across the EU was €2.19 per kilogram.
While pig throughput in Ireland has shown improvement in the last quarter, overall demand continues to outpace available supplies. The total throughput for the year to date stands at 972,083 pigs, which is marginally behind the corresponding period in 2024. For the week ending April 12th, 2025, the throughput was 67,693 pigs, of which 1,970 were sows.
The combination of tighter supplies and robust demand is putting upward pressure on pig prices in Ireland, contrasting with the slightly weaker price environment currently observed across the wider European Union compared to last year.
