UK pig prices show no signs of slowing as supplies remain tight

UK pig prices show no sign of slowing down as they continue to be driven higher by a combination of tighter domestic supplies and record prices across the EU. The EU-spec SPP increased by a further 2.04p to reach 209.75p per kg during the week ended 4 March. The National Pig Association (NPA) said this figure would, in the past, have been "unimaginable". This followed two relatively modest increases that saw the price index increase by 1.3p over the previous fortnight. It means it has now gained 9.5p in the space of just eight weeks, with the latest record high standing at nearly 72p ahead of a year ago. The NPA said that along with lower input costs, many pig producers were now starting to return a profit on their production. However, the industry body warned that there was still a "very long way to go to claw back the losses of the past two years". Recent figures published by Defra show that England alone has lost one-fifth of its female breeding pig herd following the ...