Inside: Pigs & Feed
European pig market regains balance
Pig prices in Europe are mainly moving in a sideways mode in mid-February. In Northwest Europe the quotations are literally locked, the more southern countries can refute a slight plus. In China, prices are looking down.
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The idea is that the urge to increase in Europe - due to high piglet prices - must be postponed for a few weeks. The German pig price stabilizes rounded and converted to the ISN standards at 1,47 euros per kilo. The Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium stabilize at 1,41, 1,49 and 1,39 euros per kilo respectively.
With current market conditions in mind, stabilizing pig prices are most likely over the next few weeks. The pork market is leaning on normal supply at the bottom, but is held back at the top by sluggish demand in the meat market and tight margins in the meat industry.
Despite French slaughterhouses constantly complaining about a slow meat market with thin margins, the pig price in France can refute a plus of one cent to 1,58 euros. This is due to a tight supply. Spain increases in week 7 by just 3 cents to 1,56 euros per kilo. It is possible that Spanish slaughterhouses are trying to prevent the export of live pigs to France.
Now that the Chinese New Year is over, pig prices in China are slowing down. Since the end of January, pig prices have fallen by just under 10 cents to the equivalent of 2,46 euros for live pigs.