EU sow prices falling after stable summer

By Bethan Wilkins

With ample supplies and low clean pig prices, sow prices in key EU Member States have fallen sharply since the end of August, following a relatively stable summer period.

Average sow prices across the continent have also converged, and stood as follows for the week ended 31 October:

• Denmark: €0.63/kg
• France: €0.72/kg
• Germany: €0.78/kg
• Netherlands: €0.80/kg

Germany and the Netherlands have been recording some breeding herd contraction this year, influenced by changing welfare and environmental regulations. This may keep downward pressure on future prices if culling is elevated due to producers leaving the industry.

Similar to mainland Europe, reports indicate the sow prices here in Britain have also come under pressure since the summer, although in the past month there seems to have been more stability. The GB price normally tracks the German price closely, given that most British sow meat is exported to Germany.

With poor profitability we might expect to see high numbers of sows available, however the numbers coming through have not been unusually high. AHDB estimates for GB sow slaughter to the week ended 23 October suggest the increase compared to last year is less than 5%.  This suggests that if producers are exiting, this is being achieved by not replacing sows when they are culled rather than culling them early.

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