In the wake of protests at various locations by The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) on 10 May, 2022, it appears that commitments have been made by a number of secondary processors to pass back pig price increases coming from primary processors.
Roy Gallie, Chair of the IFA Pigs Committee, comments that “Major secondary processors have committed to supporting pig farmers and understand the very serious situation that farmers are in. They recognise the losses on farms and the urgent need for a price increase. We are losing €55 per pig sold and this has been the case for far too long. We need price increases now.”
In a message distributed to committee members ahead of this week’s protests Gallie expressed that: “We need €2/kg from the market place, a 30c/kg increase by the end of the month, otherwise the industry is in jeopardy of extinction and there won’t be Irish pigmeat on the shelves. This initial €2/kg ask is to bridge the 50c/kg gap to breakeven, which is now around€2.25/kg according to Teagasc. Pig farmers are now only getting 12% of the price [consumers] pay for ham.”
“Who gets the rest? Processors or supermarkets? If the consumer wants Irish pigmeat then we must be paid a fair price for it. We’re purely about price and the survival of the sector,” he said.
The association hopes that all secondary processors honour the pledge to implement the increases. If they don’t, the committee has said that pig farmers are prepared to take further action if and when required.