The standard pig price has lost a further 1.05p over the first week of 2024, falling to 212.79p/kg during the week ended January 6.
The standard pig price (SPP) has now lost 5p since the start of November and it is currently nearly 13p below the early August high of 225.64p/kg.
However, it remains 12.5p ahead of the first week of 2023.
The National Pig Association (NPA) said the more “volatile” all pig price (APP), which includes premium pigs, lost 1.72p during the week ended December 30 to stand at 212.59p/kg, having gained 0.23p the previous week.
This left it 1.26p behind the SPP at the end of the year.
The EU reference price edged upwards by nearly 2p to 183.58p/kg during the final two weeks of 2023.
“It is now only just over 1p down on early November, following two months of relative stability. However, it remains 32p below the mid-July high of 215p/kg,” the NPA said.
“The gap to the UK reference price has narrowed slightly to 28p, but imports remain very competitive.”
Slaughterings and feed wheat
Estimated GB slaughterings remain “well down” year-on-year as 2024 gets started, the NPA said.
The figure for the week ended January 6, 133,992, was 19,000 down on a year ago.
The first week of 2024 saw a further increase in average carcase weights of nearly 1kg to 90.24kg, also nearly a kilo above the first week of 2023.
London feed wheat was quoted by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) on Wednesday (January 10) at around £182/tonne for January.
This is slightly down on earlier in the month, but was £24 higher for November 2024.
