Spain

Spanish pork breeders are aiming for a better meat quality

Pork

Duroc breed is going to exceed 30% of Spain's pig production

Posted on Jan 25 ,10:08

The Pork price for the Spanish market has ended 2017 at 1.015 euros/kg live weight but the 1 euro barrier has already come down as the first weeks of 2018 marked a price decrease to 0.995 euro/ kg live weight.

During the last year, average price 1,261 euros/kg live weight compared to 1,130 euro/kg live weight for 2016. However, in terms of slaughtering weights, the averages have been increasing every year, with 107.6 kg in 2015, 109.2 kg in 2016 and 109.6 kg in 2017, reports Mercedes Vega, General Director for Spain, Italy & Portugal at Genesus.

2017 was a good year for both producers and packaging plants as the meat has been commercialized, without the need to fill the freezing chambers, thing that led to an increase in pork production. The weight gain is driven by a changing trend of production, with race Pietrain being dropped in favour of Duroc breed, characterized by a for a better meat quality in terms of marbling and colour.

17% of the slaughtered pig in the Spanish market was Duroc blood, according to SIP data, cited by Mercedes Vega. "With these data, and the trend that is being observed in the Spanish market, we can venture to say, that the current production with Duroc, pure or not, as finishing boars already exceeds 30% and growing", said the Genesus Director.

From her point of view, the demand for Duroc breed is going to increase substantially as the Spanish consumers are pushing for more. Meantime, export markets such as Japan and Korea demand quality but a big change is that China started also to demand pork meat with better eating attributes. Pork is also one of the successful export products of Spain representing 86% in value of the total exports of the Spanish meat sector and 9.6% of total agri-food exports. The country exported 2 million tonnes of pork in the first 9 months of 2017, with a value of 4,534 million euros.