German pig price falls to lowest level in nearly five years
Germany's VEZG pig market association has cut its recommended pig price to €1.32 per kilogram, the lowest since mid-February 2022. The drop may also push down purchase prices at Polish slaughterhouses.
The German pig market association VEZG, whose weekly recommended price serves as a benchmark for pork producers and slaughterhouses, has lowered the pig price again. The recommended rate is now €1.32 per kilogram for a pig with 57% lean meat content. It is the lowest figure since mid-February 2022, before Russia's war in Ukraine began. The Polish agricultural portal Farmer.pl reported the decline.
How the price has moved
The period of stability lasted only a week. At its session on 14 October, VEZG had already cut the recommended price from €1.45 to €1.40 per kilogram. Last week's quotation brought no change, but at the latest session the price fell by a further 8 euro cents. The new rate is to apply at least until next Wednesday.
At an exchange rate of 1 euro = 4.40 zlotys, the German price equals about 5.80 zlotys per kilogram. In Poland this corresponds to class E under the carcass classification. At the end of last week, Polish purchasing points were paying just under 5.90 zlotys net per kilogram for class E pigs.
What to expect in Poland
Polish meat processors are not signalling any oversupply of live pigs. Even so, the German cut will probably affect price lists at Polish slaughterhouses. In theory, purchase prices should fall by roughly 30–35 groszy, although the industry hopes for a milder decline.
