Pig prices take a nosedive in the new year

The German pig price (VEZG) is falling by €0,10 to €1,82 per kilo. This is the lowest level in almost three years. The market seems to be repeating itself, because a year ago the price fell by the same amount in early January. Based on the five-year average, the decline is somewhat more moderate. In the weeks that follow, however, the market often recovers very quickly. Whether this will also be the case in 2025 is still difficult to say.

At the moment, sentiment is very negative due to a large supply of pigs, as a result of a series of cancelled slaughter days around the holidays. In addition, the difficult meat sales are a disruptive factor, such as the carcass parts prices of DCA also clearly demonstrate. Slaughter figures for the past period have not yet been fully updated. It is known that the German slaughter figure in week 51 dropped to 677.896 pigs. Traders speak of a 'pig clot', of which it will probably take several weeks to get the supply back into balance with the sales possibilities.

Dutch market
Dutch slaughterhouses are lowering their prices more mildly than in Germany this week. Vion is lowering its price by €0,07 to €1,68 per kilo. Compaxo is lowering its price by €0,06 to €1,59 per kilo. However, at the end of December, these slaughterhouses also lowered their price by €0,03 and €0,04 per kilo respectively, which means that the downward trend is equal to that on the German market.

It is expected that prices will not fall further in the coming weeks, but that these (albeit substantial) reductions will remain.