British standard pig price (SPP) reached a new record high of 201.24p/kg at the end of 2022, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has said
The European Union-spec SPP averaged 200.59p/kg in December 2022, which is 0.29p/kg more than the previous four-week period.
However, the all pig price (APP), which is Great Britain’s average deadweight pig price achieved by producers each week, recorded a marginal decline. It averaged 204.68p/kg for the four weeks ending December 24, down 0.36p/kg compared to pervious period.
The estimate slaughter in December totalled 666,300 head, which is a drop of 71,500 head compared to the previous four-week period, and the lowest kill recorded in the last 12 months.
This is not unexpected, according to AHDB dairy and livestock analyst Freya Shuttleworth, as there is a reduced kill over the festive period.
Shuttleworth also noted that the fall in slaughter numbers over the four-week period that was December 2022 was not evenly distributed. Weeks one and two she said, saw an increase in numbers coming forwards, but this was then followed by large declines in weeks three and four.
Average carcass weights have continued to ease, she added, down 1.35kg compared to the previous four weeks to 87.42kg. Carcass weights now sit 8kg below their peak from the beginning of 2022.
