AHDB: GB pig prices continue the downward trend
Additionally, prices are now 21.24p lower than the three-year average. However, prices may be starting to stabilise, as this week’s decline was noticeably smaller than the previous week’s drop.
Throughput remains stable
Defra’s latest figures put UK pigmeat production at 853,000 tonnes, up 3% month-on-month, but stable versus January 2025.
Our estimated clean pig slaughter totalled 165,500 head for week ending 28 February. A fall of 3,700 head on the week and 1,000 head lower than the same week from previous year.
Carcase weights have averaged 95.18 kg in the week ending 28 February, down slightly from the previous week but still up over 4 kg on the year and just shy of the record level reached in the week ending 29 January 2022.
EU reference prices
EU pig prices have recently seen an uptick since the end of February.
The EU grade S reference price averaged 131.94p/kg equivalent in the week ending 1 March, increasing 1.97p from the previous week and up 5.73p/kg from the previous month which recorded the lowest price recorded so far this year.
This recent increase has been largely driven by higher prices in Germany and Spain.
In Spain, prices have risen to 119.02p, up 6.37p from the low point recorded after the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak at the end of November. Germany has also recorded a notable uplift, with prices reaching 144.25p, an increase of 4.20p on the previous week.
Despite this uplift, the price remains significantly lower than last year, by 24.13p.
The gap between average EU and UK reference prices peaked at 69.90p for the week ending 18 January. By the week ending 1 March, this has now narrowed to 59.11p.
Consumer demand
In the 12 weeks to 22 February, GB retail purchase volumes of pig meat fell by 1.6% year‑on‑year. Despite this average pig meat prices remains lower than for other proteins, rising by 2.3% year‑on‑year, compared with 4.6% for lamb and 16.1% for beef.
Despite the considerable gap between UK and European pricing, our January facings survey indicates that most British retailers have not only maintained British products on their shelves but have even slightly increased their presence versus the previous year.
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