Pig price: cautiously more optimistic

The German pork price (VEZG) was unchanged last Wednesday at €1,36 per kilo for the second week in a row. It is likely that this level will remain on the boards in the coming week. The price pressure of recent weeks has subsided, but the upward path cannot (yet) be taken. Partly because in certain German states there will be a slaughter day next Thursday, November 1, in connection with All Saints' Day. The pig supply is therefore ample across Europe.

By the way, the VEZG listing celebrated its 20th anniversary last week. The listing was launched in October 1998 and has since developed as a standard bearer on the European pig market. 46 producer associations are members of the Association of Erzeugergemeinschaften (VEZG), which jointly pay the recommended retail price every week.

Cautious optimism
The prospects for 2019 are still uncertain, although there is some cautious optimism. Slaughterhouses report that Chinese importers are requesting larger volumes in the first quarter of 2019. This sound is consistent with the forecast recently published by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, the effects of this on the pig price are still pending.

The coming weeks will show whether pork prices will pick up towards the holidays. In any case, this cannot be ruled out in advance. At the same time, the undertone on the meat market is still somewhat nervous; For example, the United States (US) has stopped the import of Polish pork due to African swine fever in that country. This resulted in slightly more supply on the spot market in the past week. The situation in Belgium also remains uncertain.

The DCA Exchange Price 2.0 will remain at €1,27 per kilo for the slaughtered pigs for the coming week. The price of live pigs remains the same at €1,03 per kilo.

View the latest listing here.