Market warnings at world pork talks
That was the message from the 4th International Meat Secretariat World Pork Conference in Nanjing, China, attended by representatives of the Canadian Pork Council, British Pig Executive, South African Pork Producers Organisation, New Zealand Pork Industry Board, Australian Pork Ltd, Dutch Union of Pig farmers, the LTO, the Dutch Federation of Agriculture and Horticulture and the French Porcine National Federation.
Delegates said a large number of farmers are already leaving the pig industry, and more will follow.
The conference heard the industry will go into meltdown, because wheat prices, one of the main constituents of pig feed, have doubled over the last 12 months, and pig farmers need a price rise to offset current losses of up to €39 per slaughter pig.
Meanwhile, Irish pig farmers estimate they are losing €10 to 15 per pig — or €3,000 per week for the average farmer selling 200 pigs a week.An IFA organised pig survival strategy meeting in Roscrea was attended by 180 pig farming, milling, meat processing and banking representatives. IFA pigmeat chairman Michael Maguire said the situation was unsustainable. “The consensus from the meeting was that Irish pigmeat producers and processors could reclaim the Irish market through a revamped marketing strategy by Bord Bia.” But IFA President Padraig Walshe said some Irish companies are not supporting the Irish pigmeat products on which their brands were built, instead using the 1.3 million kg of non-EU pigmeat imported into Ireland per year. The meeting heard a lobbying session with politicians is planned to emphasise the urgent need for country of origin labelling, and for approved animal feed to be allowed into Europe.
