IFA Pigs Chairman Tom Hogan has responded to the news of pig factories taking the decision to drop the pig price by 4c/kg. Hogan said the processing industry is undermining producers who have endured severe price volatility over the past numbers of years.
“For pig factories to pull the price when the rest of Europe is heading in the opposite direction on price, above €2/kg, sends the completely wrong message to all stakeholders. There is no justification at this stage to drop price.”
“What is particularly frustrating is that processors have recently agreed an increase with retailers. To impose cuts on pig producers at the same time is a kick in the teeth,” he said.
Tom Hogan has called on all pig factories to reverse their decision on the price cut. The IFA had to organise crisis meetings and tackle individual pig factories in order to get the pig price moving upwards last year. This happened as a result of Irish producers earning less than the European pig price in March and April last year.
Hogan concluded that now is not the time to over-react to the ongoing coronavirus and trade disruptions to China.
