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Fury from Irish pig producers regarding prices
Pig producers in Ireland are furious with pigmeat
processors for dropping prices by 4c/kg for this week's pigs states IFA (Irish
Farmers' Association) Pigs Committee Chairman, Michael
Maguire.
"It was accepted over the last couple of weeks that
market conditions were difficult, however it appears that the processors misread
the market last Friday. Both north and south of the border, processors made a
conscious effort to drop their producer prices.
EU increasesThis is despite the fact
that increases were achieved in a number of the major pig producing states.
German, Austrian and Belgian producers saw an increase of 3c/kg whereas our
Dutch counterparts achieved an increase of 4c/kg," he said.
Maguire said
"pig producers have just come through the most difficult crisis ever experienced
in the sector. Considerable debts were built up over the last 12 months and
although prices have risen from the loss making levels of the first quarter of
2008, Irish producers have been below the EU average all through 2008 and are
only beginning to recover in earnest." The white meat sector in Ireland, which
trades on the world market, depends on a balance of trade in the EU.
Breeding herd
Last year's crisis was caused not only by increases in the price of feed
but also by an oversupply of pigmeat on the world market. This oversupply is
almost completely gone at this stage due to massive falls in the breeding herd
in the EU.
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