Prices: For the week ending 9th May, the average reported deadweight price paid for Grade E pigs in Ireland increased by €0.01/kg to €1.75/kg (excluding VAT). Producer prices generally range from €1.74/kg-€1.78/kg across processors this week.
Current prices remain 19% lower than the same week last year, when prices averaged €2.15/kg. Across Europe, pig prices are showing signs of recovery. The EU average price for Grade E carcasses has come back by €0.02/kg to €1.65/kg (excluding VAT) and is €0.41/kg below the corresponding week in 2025 (€2.06/kg). Brazilian pork prices continue to face downward pressure with the average price coming in at €1.20 /kg with which is 29% below the same week last year.
Throughput: Slaughter activity remains robust. Combined throughputs for the first 19 weeks of 2026 are just under 1,275,000 head, which is over 54,000 head higher than the same period in 2025. For the week ending 9th May, total slaughtering’s amounted to 57,756 head, including 1,709 sows and 9 boars.
Overall, there has been a 4.5% increase in fattener pig throughput compared with the same period last year, signalling strong supply despite softer price trends.
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