Farmers have been hit hard: half of the pig farms may pull down the shutters in summer

According to the Romanian Pig Breeders' Association, wholesale pig prices have fallen to approximately 4.5 lei (€0.88/kg). This value falls well below the estimated cost price of 6.57 lei (€1.29/kg). The import pressure is partly related to the African swine fever (ASF) situation in Spain, which has redirected part of the supply to the Romanian market. Adrian Balaban, president of the association, told Digi24 television: an average Romanian pig farmer has been selling below cost price for more than twenty weeks, PigProgress reported. This is causing serious liquidity problems and already questioning the viability of the sector in the short term. The expert also warned that the farmers cannot produce at a loss indefinitely, which will inevitably lead to a decline in production. In the worst-case scenario, nearly half of the Romanian pig farms could suspend operations during the summer months. This would further weaken the country's already fragile food self-sufficiency. Romania is ...