Piglet surplus is mainly slaughtered

The ASF outbreak in Spain continues to affect the piglet trade. However, this doesn't mean that no piglets are being exported to the Southern European country. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) has ultimately revised the Dutch export figure for the past week to 36.694. That's over 17.000 fewer than the same week a year ago. The preliminary figure for week 50 indicates that 11.727 were shipped to Spain. The number may be slightly higher. 

Piglets that can't be shipped to Spain are primarily sent to slaughterhouses, according to market reports. The European pig farming sector is currently inflexible, meaning there's simply no room for a significant increase in supply. Slaughtering is primarily done abroad, such as in Germany. This isn't exactly good news for the already overcrowded meat market, but it's necessary to relieve the pressure on the piglet market. The coming weeks will be challenging as slaughterhouses scale down significantly around Christmas and New Year.

All in all, the mood on the piglet market is depressed, despite sales in the Netherlands continuing well. A large number of pigs have been slaughtered in our country in recent weeks, creating room for new stocking, which in recent years has often been considerably more expensive than this year. This may offer opportunities for finisher pig farmers heading into spring. At the same time, there are currently concerns about a further drop in pig prices in Germany. Perhaps before the holidays, or otherwise afterward. To be continued! 

Based on the data, the DCA BestPigletPrice this week drops by €0,50 to €35,50 per piglet.

Click here for an explanation from DCA Market Intelligence on the listing.