Warnings almost a third could quit pig sector as losses expected to reach €160m

Pig sector losses as a result of below-cost prices are expected to reach €160m by March 2023.

Pig sector losses as a result of below-cost prices are expected to reach €160m by March 2023, Teagasc analysts have said, warning that up to 30% of Irish pig farmers are at risk of closure.

Over the 18-month period from September 2021 to March 2023, the analysts estimate an average 600-sow pig unit will incur losses of €663,000.