Improved demand has fuelled a welcome increase in EU pork prices over the past six weeks or so. 

The first five weeks of the year saw EU pi prices drop off sharply, losing on average 12p/kg, on the back of seasonally weak demand. However, in the latest six weeks, ending March 17 prices have recovered, gaining 14p to average 185.63p/kg.

This has significantly reduced the gap to UK pig prices – the latest EU reference price was 23p behind the UK reference price – reducing the competiveness of EU pork imports.

All key producing nations have recorded strong growth in recent weeks on the back of tightening supplies, according to AHDB analyst Freya Shuttleworth.

“The driving force behind these price increases has been reported as an uplift in demand alongside the continued tightening of supply,” she said.

EU pigmeat production last year was the lowest volume recorded in over a decade, at 20.6 million tonnes, a 7% decline year on year, following a 6% fall in volumes in 2022. These declines have been driven by reduced slaughter numbers which are also back 7% year on year.

“Forecasts for 2024 predict further decline in pig meat production, with the contraction in herd size seen over the last couple of years not expected to recover,” Ms Shuttleworth added.

 

Alistair Driver | Pig World

TOYOTA — Japanese wholesale prices for imported beef have hit the highest level since the market was opened up in 1991, as a drought in southern U.S. states curtails supply, prompting restaurants to weigh price hikes.

Domestic wholesale price of U.S. belly meat used in beef bowls and other dishes is currently between 1,080 yen and 1,200 yen ($7.13 and $7.92) per kilogram, up 38% from the same period last year. With the weak yen also driving up costs, the price surpassed the previous high reached in 2014.

Sixty percent of beef sold in Japan is imported. U.S. beef, which accounts for 40% of the imports, is used primarily by businesses, such as beef bowl chains and grilled beef restaurants.

Reduced U.S. beef production is the biggest factor for the price spike. The number of cattle being raised in the country is in a natural cyclical decline. And the drought in the South exacerbated the drop by reducing grass that cattle feed on.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the cattle inventory was 87.157 million head as of Jan. 1., the lowest level since 1951. Drought triggered the spike in prices in 2014, but the inventory decline is more significant this time.

Local producers are reducing exports to meet the U.S. appetite first. U.S. beef exports totaled 1.37 million tonnes in 2023, down 14% on the year. The USDA is forecasting a decrease of 8.3% to 1.26 million tonnes this year.

 

Nikkei Asia

The Cook Government’s Minister for Agriculture and Food is leading the first Western Australian delegation of its kind to the United Kingdom, which includes some of the State’s major sheep meat and cattle producers.

• Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis is leading the first Western Australia delegation of its kind to the United Kingdom
• Minister Jarvis and major WA sheep meat companies will visit Smithfield Market, one of the largest wholesale meat markets in Europe
• The mission will also include meetings with the UK’s Minister of State for Food, Farming and Fisheries and stakeholders from the UK’s biggest supermarkets

The Cook Government’s Minister for Agriculture and Food is leading the first Western Australian delegation of its kind to the United Kingdom, which includes some of the State’s major sheep meat and cattle producers.

The purpose of the ‘red meat mission’ is to establish strong relationships with UK market buyers and unlock new trade opportunities for WA farmers.

During the seven-day mission, Minister Jarvis will lead two WA sheep meat companies on a tour of the Smithfield Market, one of the largest wholesale meat markets, in Europe and meet with traders and buyers.

Fletcher International Exports, V & V Walsh and Pardoo Wagyu are looking to leverage the favourable provisions within the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement to establish or enhance their presence in the UK market.

The delegation will have the opportunity to meet with local experts to further understand overseas supply chains and market entry requirements.

Minister Jarvis is also set to meet with the Minister of State for Food, Farming and Fisheries, the Right Honourable Mark Spencer MP, as well as the British Meat Processors Association, the International Meat Traders Association and Meat and Livestock Australia.

In addition, the delegation will attend the International Food & Drink event (IFE) in London, which will serve as a hub for more than 27,000 buyers for the UK’s entire food, drink, and hospitality supply chain – including stakeholders from Tesco, Marks & Spencer and British Airways.

The Cook Government will have a stand at the event to support WA’s agrifood businesses to showcase their products to global buyers.

 

WA.gov.au

 

Also:

Bord Bia Embarks On Trade Mission To China

Mexico meat processor’s mission to UK

 

The family-owned, fourth-generation meat wholesale company Macduff 1890, under the leadership of Andrew Duff, the great-grandson of its founder, has ceased operations and closed.

 

Kelly Henaughen | The Scottish Farmer

The EU-spec SPP has dropped back again, but the most eye-catching part of the latest of AHDB’s market data is the drop of in estimated slaughter numbers. 

If these turn out to be accurate – and they are often revision – weekly GB slaughterings, at 141,000 for the week ended March 16, appear to be at the lowest level outside of Christmas and New Year since April 2010.

Estimated GB slaughterings for the week were nearly 6,000 down on the previous week, 20,000 below the same week a year ago and 34,000 below the 2022 figure.

The drop off appears to be a combination of the vastly reduced breeding herd, combined with, according to last week’s PIG meeting, productivity issues, partly the result of the relentless wet weather.

The SPP lost 0.18p to stand at 211.31p/kg during the week ended March 16, following the previous week’s 00.16p increase. It has been extremely stable since the end of January, when it stood at 211.38p/kg, fluctuating up and down by tiny amounts since, and is now roughly back to where it was.

It is now, however, for the first time in a very long time, now more than 1p behind the SPP of a year ago, which stood at 212.53p/kg, at a time when pig prices were still rising at a decent rate.

The much more volatile APP, which includes premium pigs, gained 1.2p during the week ended March 9 to stand at 211.63p/kg, cancelling out the declines of the previous fortnight. This put it back ahead of the SPP for the week by just 0.14p/kg.

Despite the latest reverse, many within the industry remain optimistic that the combination of tightening supplies and rising EU markets will support the market over the coming weeks.

 

Alistair Driver | National Pig Association

Finished deadweight lambs have surpassed £8/kg for top E- and U-grades in the past week.

Tight supplies and exceptional demand driving up prices to new all-time highs.

The GB old-season lamb SQQ averaged 789.8p/kg, an increase of 46.1p/kg on the previous week, and up by almost £2/kg since the beginning of the year.

There is further talk among traders of several processors paying highs of between £8.20/kg and £8.80/kg deadweight for best lambs this week as they battle for limited numbers.

Prime lambs have been achieving more than £4/kg liveweight at auction marts, with auctioneers saying that many pens of hoggs have been selling for £200+ a head.

An elevated market in Europe has also helped to facilitate some export trade, with EU deadweight heavy lambs up by 13% on the year to average €8.05/kg deadweight (£6.88/kg) in mid-March, according to the EU Commission.

 

Charlie Reeve | Farmers Weekly 

 

Eddie Bisknell | BBC News

The overall pig herd in England fell by 10 percent in 2023, following the huge contraction of the breeding herd in 2022, figures show.

Defra’s December census showed that the breeding herd stabilised last year, but showed little sign of growth. There was also a drop in young pig numbers.

The total number of pigs in England fell to 3.3 million in December 2023, a loss of nearly 400,000 pigs.

The 10% year-on-year decline was driven by an 11% fall in the number of fattening pigs to just over 3 million.

According to Defra’s figures, the overall English pig breeding herd was 1% down on December 2022 at 300,800.

The female breeding herd, which accounts for 79% of breeding pigs, saw a small increase of 0.7% to 239,000 in December 2023.

Continues..

 

Farming UK

Also:

Pig abattoir numbers in England continue to decline

Shocking Defra figures show huge contraction in English pig herd

UK Pigmeat export volumes, including offal, fell by 20% last year to 298,000 tonnes, as a result of lower UK production and subdued demand in Asia.

The value of pigmeat shipments fell by a lower proportion, 9% to £570 million, due to higher prices.

Most export categories were down, with fresh and frozen export volumes plummeting by 30% to 130,000t, bacon exports by 21% to 13,400t, although values were only slightly down, and sausages volumes by 12% to 4,600t, as the value of these shipments rose. The exception was processed hams, shoulders and other pieces, which were up by 4% in volume.

Offal shipments were down 8% to 133,000t and accounted for 45% of pigmeat export volumes, the highest share.

Overall red meat exports from the UK in 2023 were worth £1.7 billion, similar to 2022, largely driven by strong demand for UK lamb on international markets.

The total value of red meat shipments to the EU during the period was up 2% on the year at £1.3 billion while volumes fell by 12% on the year.

Sheep meat exports to France, the UK’s largest market, increased by 23% in value to £292 million and 23% in volume on the year to 45,000 tonnes. Beef exports decreased by 15% in volume and 9% in value.

 

Alistair Driver | Pig World

Farmers in Kent are stationing their tractors in a supermarket car park to protest against cheap imports and “win over” the British public.

Around 20 tractors are parked at Tesco Extra in Whitfield, near Dover, to raise awareness of the threat to food security in the UK, because of the “unfair” treatment of British farmers.

The collective action comes after a group of farmers staged a go-slow protest around the Port of Dover on Friday February 9.

Speaking to FarmingBritain.tv ahead of the protest on Saturday, livestock and potato farmer Jeff Gibson said the single message within their concerns is sustainability.

Mr Gibson said: “British farmers can’t compete with cheap foreign imports and we’re going to be left in a situation where we cannot feed the British public.

“The biggest problem we’re going to face as an industry and the British public in future years is, what happens in the next crisis, what happens in the next Covid, what happens in the next Ukraine war?

“We need to make people realise that food security in this country is really under threat.

 

Anahita Hossein-Pour | Belfast Telegraph