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Retailers must increase the supermarket price of pigmeat so that pig farmers can recover their spiralling costs of production, according to the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).
IFA pig committee chair Roy Gallie said the average family pig farm is facing a loss of €38,000 per month, every month and that this is “simply unsustainable”.
Gallie was speaking in light of ongoing cost inflation for Irish farm inputs.
Below cost of production
Gallie said: “Pig farmers have had a hugely challenging year, with rising feed costs and reductions in pig prices.
“They are already reporting a net loss of 30c/kg which equates to €27 below the cost of production of every pig.”
He described how pig farmers have been hit with an “alarming increase” in their costs of production over the past 12 months.
“In particular, a 30% rise in feed costs to date. This increases the cost of growing a pig by 30c/kg alone.
“At the same time, the farmgate price of the pig has decreased by 45c/kg.”
Struggling
Gallie said pig farmers are “really struggling to continue in the current climate” due to considerable cost increases in electricity, gas, oil, labour and transport.
“A cost recovery package from the marketplace is essential for the sector and the very survival of our pig farms.
“Given the unprecedented level of losses in this current crisis, the retailers have to increase the price they pay for pigmeat.”
He said such a shelf price increase must be passed directly back to the primary producer.
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