It is still remains a seller’s markets though, with no procurement manager willing to lose pigs and farmers who bargain hard are achieving more than initial quotes from some processors.

Chairman of the IFA Pigs committee, Tom Hogan said the fundamentals of the market remain positive for the foreseeable future and he urged pig farmers not to accept quotes at the lower end of the range.

Demand for pig meat is buoyant across all major markets, including the domestic Irish market. Similar to previous weeks, deals up to €1.72c/kg were reported as being paid for spot loads and lighter pigs. The total Irish pig kill is back 0.9 per cent compared to 2016, which has been a contributing factor to the intense competition between processors in recent months.

Ireland’s percentage of the EU price has improved and is currently 101 per cent of the EU average price as reported to the EU Commission for the week commencing 27/03/2017.

Factory pig throughput in Republic of Ireland export plants for the week ending 1 April 2017 was 61,428 head which was 1,723 head less than the previous week and 8,867 more than in the corresponding week in 2016. Slaughtering’s in ROI export plants is -0.9 per cent behind the same period in 2016.

Export Plants: Top prices on a flat rate basis </= 170cent/kg in Karro and Dawn, </=167 cent/kg in Kepak, </=166 cent/kg in Staunton’s and Rosderra.

Pork Slaughters: The price range is </=160 cent/kg.

Sows: 95 – 100c/kg DW.

Weekly Slaughterings: Week ending 1 April 2017 Pigs: 61,428 Sows: 1,867

EU-27 Pigmeat Reference Price – week commencing 27 March 2017

Irish price €1.64kg

EU–27 average price €1.62kg

(Grade E pigs – 55 per cent to 60 per cent lean meat excluding VAT but including transport and bonuses).