Shortage of piglets continues

Driven by good sales to Spain, free piglets are scarce in the Netherlands. Exporters report that Spanish sales are being realized at levels well above the quotations. There is also a lively demand for piglets in Germany. The increase in the German piglet price (Nord/West quotation) over the past week (+€2 to €44 per piglet) is also on the horizon for this week.

Good sales to Spain
That the Spanish hunger to piglets is so large, it is due to a contraction in the sow herd. The total number of sows (counted in December) increased by 2% to 2,47 million heads. However, the number of pregnant sows decreased by 2% to 1,63 million. This decline corresponds to reports that a number of Spanish integrations are struggling to fill the fattening pig houses. Relatively expensive foreign lay-up is preferred over a lower occupancy rate, as it turns out.

Vion follows Vion Germany
It is interesting what the Vion pig price does, now that the slaughter group in Germany has a 'haus price' handles. The Dutch pig price remains at €1,50 per kilo. The quotation therefore does not increase with the German pig price (the VEZG quotation) and Tönnies. According to Vion, the bottom end of the meat market is picking up, now that the February contracts have been delivered. With the exception of the hams, which have a slight plus, the meat mutates stably. The slaughterhouse does state that the price pressure on the necks is increasing somewhat.  

Despite the fact that the piglet price is rising, the influence of the leveling pig price is visible. For example, DCA listing decided this week not to round the statements up in the quote. The DCA BPP is up €2 to 48 per piglet this week.