EU pig prices slide as ASF detection adds pressure – AHDB

EU pig prices have continued to fall sharply as higher production meets weaker demand, according to the latest AHDB market update. Average EU grade S reference prices have declined steadily since late June, reaching 149.24p/kg in the week ending 30 November. This is the lowest level since March 2022, when prices averaged 138.03p/kg. Since the start of November, values have fallen 5.35p, including a 3.40p drop in the most recent week.

Downward pressure has been driven by increased supplies and subdued consumer demand. The difference between the UK reference price and the EU average widened to 53.33p/kg at the end of November, a gap that has exceeded 50p on only five occasions since 2014 — all of them in 2025. The wider differential may make EU pork more attractive to buyers on a cost basis.

Spain has recorded the steepest fall, with prices down 47p from their summer peak. Market sentiment deteriorated further after African swine fever was confirmed in wild boar in Spain on 27 November, a development expected to weigh heavily on prices across the region.

EU pig meat production rose 3% between January and August, while exports grew 1% in the first nine months of the year to 2.9 million tonnes. Imports declined 3% to 99,600 tonnes over the same period.

Tags: pork, EU, UK, prices, Meat, Production, imports, pig, demand