Inside Pigs
There are plenty of pigs
It is unlikely that pig prices will rise in the run-up to Christmas. The pig supply means that placing the pigs is not easy for every trader.
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There is no longer any talk about higher pig prices. The German pig price (VEZG quotation) was stable this week for the sixth week in a row (€1,36 per kilo). The Internet exchange showed an increase on Friday, November 23 (+€0,01 to €1,43 per kilo), with all 11 batches having been purchased. This confirms the reports that the pigs are well placed at the German slaughterhouses, but there is no question of shortages.
Sometimes shifting
The Dutch market is fuller. Where one trader has to pass on the pigs, the other gets the offer placed. Based on the slaughter figures, it can be concluded that in any case many pigs are slaughtered. This is because slaughterhouses also slaughter on Saturdays.
Last week (week 46) 321.000 pigs were slaughtered in the Netherlands, the third highest number so far in 2018. The slaughter weight showed an increase from 10 grams to 97,10 kilos. In Germany, the figures have been above the 1 million mark for weeks.
No confidence in higher prices
Both Dutch and German fattening pig farmers offer plenty of pigs. This implies that there is no confidence that prices will pick up in the run-up to the holidays. There is no reason to expect this either. Both the pork and meat supply in Europe is ample; the quotations on the spot market sometimes show a slight upward trend, but not enough to stir the pig price.
The DCA Fair Price 2.0 therefore remains at €1,28 per kilo for the slaughtered pigs, while the price of live pigs is €1,03 per kilo.