Pig farmers demand action on feed prices

IFA Pigs Committee chairman Tom Hogan has called on the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed to convene an emergency meeting of all stakeholders in the pig sector as farmers struggle to break even and deal with rising feed prices.

Mr Hogan told the Farming Independent that the sector needs to face up to the realities of the current economic figures of pig production in Ireland. While feed makes up to 70pc of production costs, its price has risen dramatically, creating financial pressures that are jeopardising the existence of family-run pig farms.

“The cost of feed was recognised as being between €1.05c/kg and €1.10c/kg up to six weeks ago, and for over 12 months before that. With current rising commodity markets, this figure has suddenly risen to €1.15c/kg and is continuing to rise.

“With all other non-feed costs calculated at between 40c/kg and 50c/kg, this left a break-even figure of €1.50/kg,” said Mr Hogan.

“Irish pig farmers have been producing pigs at 10c/kg below the cost of production for all of 2018, but with the combination of rising costs of production and the hammer blow to the industry of a 4c/kg price reduction over the past two weeks, pig farmers have to call stop, if not farmers, bank managers.”

Mr Hogan said a meeting with all stakeholders urgently needs to be called next week in order to save the pig sector, which is a huge employer in rural Ireland.

“The seriousness of the situation on Irish pig farms needs to be brought to the highest level by the Minister for Agriculture, and he needs to go to the EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Phil Hogan with solutions,” he said.

“An emergency meeting of stakeholders to include, banks, pig factories, secondary processors, Bord Bia, all retailers and the IFA needs to happen next week.

“The meeting would allow everyone to agree on plausible actions that will allow the sector, that employs over 10,000 people in rural Ireland directly, and many more indirectly, to continue into the future.”