Pig prices hit record in Taiwan

Pig prices have reached a nine-year high - with the animal sold for NT$7,010 per 100 kilograms yesterday (€146.7) -. The cause: more expensive feed, an agriculture official said.

Prices of pigs have been going up at a rapid pace. Just in the bottom half of last year, pigs were sold for NT$4,700 per 100 kilograms (€98.3). In February, prices shot up to NT$6,000 (€125.5), before going up to an average of NT$6,491 (€135.8) for the month of April.

Just over the first few days of May, prices went up to NT$6,886 (€144) and reached NT$7,012 over the weekend, breaking the NT$7,000 level.

Things did not improve much yesterday -- the first trading day of the week after the Monday close of traditional markets island-wide -- as hogs were sold at NT$7,010 per 100 kilograms. The last time pig prices broke the NT$7,000 level was in the summer of 1999, due to a mass culling of pigs in the aftermath of the foot-and-mouth disease that broke out in 1997.

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