Freezing temperatures are not bad for the pig market

Winters in the Netherlands have been more wet than cold in recent years. This is also the case this year. Yet change seems to be coming: the KNMI predicts winter temperatures next week, with the mercury sometimes not even rising above freezing during the day. The long-term forecasts also point to persistent frost, also in Germany. It may not be an Elfstedentocht, but the winter cold will make itself felt at the pig market in the form of a slowdown in growth in the stables. Now that the pig supply is just not yet reaching the quays, this is a welcome development for traders and producers. 

Little sex
At the beginning of 2024 there will be a pig plug to a greater or lesser extent. In the last week of last year, the slaughter figure dropped to 145.941 pigs. Remarkably, this is the lowest weekly number since 2013, although in subsequent years there were sometimes two processing days in a week. The numbers slaughtered in the first week of January are also disappointing, insiders indicate. This means that the market will probably need the entire month of January to find a balance between supply and demand again. The predicted winter cold is therefore convenient.

Boost for meat sales?
Slaughterhouses are now putting pressure on pig prices considerably, but so far no one in Northwestern Europe has taken the initiative to reduce prices. In Denmark, Danish Crown did indeed decrease. The freezing cold does not mean that pig prices will remain stable next week, but the chance of reductions is shrinking somewhat. Especially because the cold can also give a boost to pork sales. At the moment, meat sales are very calm, as is usual for January.

The DCA Exchange Price 2.0 remains at €2 per kilo for slaughtered pigs in week 2,08. The price of live pigs also remains stable at €1,65 per kilo. There were traders who opted for a reduction, but they did not have the upper hand. 

Click here for an explanation of the listing.