Pig producers want rip-off tackled

A RIP-OFF in the food chain must be addressed now if consumers are to have native supplies of pork and bacon products into the future, pig producers have warned.

IFA Pigs Committee chairman Pat O’Keeffe said producers want to continue in business but they do not have endless resources.

If the processing industry is to secure its future supplies, it must pay producers a better price and this has to be got from the market place.

Every report indicates the high cost of living, but primary producers are not getting higher prices for their products.

The fact that they get only 23% of the retail price reaffirms there is a rip-off in the food chain.

Mr O’Keeffe said all pig producers in the South should be receiving a minimum pig price of 1.27/kg for pigs supplied, regardless of their outlet.

But there are circumstances where bonuses may be paid for loyalty of supply and for pigs reared specifically for the British market.

A pig reared for this market is getting a minimum five cent per kg premium and should average 1.32 per kg, while pigs exported to Northern Ireland for slaughter are realising a nett price of 1.36 per kg.

He said it is obvious that some producers are being kept on artificially low prices.

This is not good enough when producers are struggling to break even in the South, while their colleagues in the North and Britain are making a steady margin.