Pig production to fall by 5.9% this year

Ireland: There is a crisis of confidence in the Irish pig sector with production predicted to fall this year by 5.9% over last year, which represents a 10% drop compared to 2002, the IFA claimed yesterday.

It said that this year will see Irish slaughter pig numbers fall to just over three million, the largest in the EU 15, where production overall is forecast to drop by just 0.8%.

Other countries showing significant supply drops are Holland -4.4%, Britain -2.5%, Belgium -3.6% and Spain -1.8%.

Countries increasing production are Germany +1.1%, Denmark +0.3%, Italy +1.1% and Austria +1.7%.

IFA Pigs Committee chairman Pat O’Keeffe said the overriding concern for the Irish industry is that all categories of breeding pigs are showing a decline with total breeding sow numbers down by 4.2%.

He said the trend of falling supplies will continue over the next few years.

That is unless margins for the primary producer improve and that means a better price for pigs.

He also warned that the over-zealous interpretation of regulations by a number of statutory agencies was crippling the production sector.

Mr O’Keeffe said a 4c/kg price cut imposed on suppliers this week will rattle the fragile confidence with the production sector.

He called on processors to take a longer-term view for the industry and re-instate this 4c/kg onto the pig price with immediate effect.

“IFA is warning all sectors in the pig industry that producers do not have the financial reserves or confidence to carry on producing pigs, regardless of margins.