Analysis Pigs
Piglet price continues to decline, export breaks records
At the piglet market, the situation is almost the same as in recent weeks. The supply exceeds the demand, putting pressure on prices. It is striking that the sales to Spain are running exceptionally well on paper, but this does not apply to the German demand.
We don't need to spend a lot of words this week on the difficult piglet trade. Pig farmers are still hesitant to introduce new batches, as the continuously declining prices also encourage this. This week, the DCA BestPigletPrice drops again quite significantly, by €2.50 to €55 per pig.
German market
In neighboring countries, we see a mixed picture. The German VEZG piglet price has meanwhile stabilized at €73.50, significantly higher than here in the Netherlands. The Danish piglet price is declining again after being stable last week. This is likely related to the weak export to Germany, where many piglets from the Scandinavian country are sent. The grain harvest in Germany may be related to this, causing mixed farms to have different priorities for the time being.
(Depth) records
Dutch piglet exports to Germany plummeted in week 28, according to the most recent figures from RVO. In that week, only 41,888 piglets crossed the German border. Only in the last week of 2023, the number was lower, but that was a broken week. Interestingly, the piglet export figure to Spain rose to a record of 55,427 piglets a week earlier (week 27). The weekly figure had never been so high before. Moreover, the export figures to Spain have surpassed those to Germany twice in recent weeks, which had not happened before.
The above suggests that the Spanish demand is very strong, but this is not how it is perceived in the market. This is partly because Spanish integrations are bidding significantly lower. It is likely that the export figures to Spain will decrease in the coming period, as is seasonally customary.
Nevertheless, it is remarkable that the Dutch piglet exports to Spain and Germany, respectively the two largest markets, have shown such a divergent picture in a short period of time.
