Germany: V price 2.28 €/kg (range 2.28 – 2.33 €/kg) - unchanged The weekly slaughter figures are again small with 726,826 pigs ( previous week 705,205 ); the slaughter weights have increased slightly to 97.1 kg . At 220,000 pigs (previous week 225,300 ), the advance registrations remain too small for the increasing demand. Price quotation for cuts has been discontinued. At the ISN auction on Tue, 28.Feb 2023 an average price of 2.35 €/kg (-2 ct/kg) was achieved in a range from 2.33 to 2.37 €/kg. The V price for the period from 03/02/2023 to 03/08/2023 remained at €2.28/kg; the range is from 2.28 to 2.33 €/kg. ASF : As of February 28, 2023, 5,087 wild boar infected with ASF have been officially confirmed in Brandenburg, Saxony and Mecklenburg. For the first time, domestic pigs were culled in a small herd of 11 animals in the Neisse-Spreen area. Market and price development in selected competitor countries: In Denmark, prices in the 09th week of 2023 have been increased to a comparable calculated €1.80/kg (+3 ct/kg). The high Danish export dependency to third countries makes pricing difficult. In Belgium, the prices in the 09th week of 2023 remained unchanged at €2.16/kg .For the time being, an upper price limit seems to have been reached. In the Netherlands , the prices in the 09th week of 2023 also remained at a comparable calculated €2.16/kg . Higher rates are no longer accepted on the sales side. In France/Brittany, prices have been increased by the weekly maximum of +6 ct/kg to €2.256/kg . The slaughter figures are as low as 350,357 pigs. Slaughter weights have increased slightly at 95.8 kg. In Italy, the listings in the 9th week of 2023 rose by a further 4 ct/kg . The supply remains too small for the demand. In Spain, the prices in the 9th week of 2023 were increased again by 6 ct/kg at a comparable €2.47/ kg. Slaughter pigs from Germany and abroad are sought to utilize the slaughter capacities. Sales are increasingly geared towards the EU internal market.In the USA/IOWA, prices have increased further to the equivalent of €1.64/kg . Battle numbers remain at reduced levels. However, part prices have increased. For the front month Apr-2023, the futures prices on the stock exchange are €1.87/kg; for the summer months prices of over 2 €/kg are already being traded. Brazil: On average, producer prices have fallen slightly to €1.84/kg as REAL has strengthened again. The carnival effect is over. Expectations are focused on export. China: Prices stopped at the equivalent of €2.73/kg in the middle of the February 2023 week. The demand for meat is seasonally weak. On the Dalian Stock Exchange, March 2023 prices are traded at the equivalent of only €2.72/kg. Only for the July 2023 delivery are prices back at €3.20/kg. The exchange rate has strengthened.Conclusion: The previous reduction in pig stocks in almost all EU member states has led to an increasingly scarce supply of pigs for slaughter. Repeated, above-average price increases were pushed through. A price ceiling seems to have been reached for the time being. According to the livestock census results, the live supply will not increase in the near future.
ZMP Live Expert Opinion
The previous strong price increase has initially reached the limits of price-sensitive demand. Nevertheless, the living supply is scarce enough to maintain the price level that has been reached. The future supply of pigs for slaughter will remain low, while at the same time a moderate (this year) seasonal upturn in demand is to be expected. There is still something!