asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to any concerted effort by processing plants to keep the prices of pigs down; and the effect this is having on primary producers.
Written Answers. - Pig Prices.
29.
I am not aware of any concerted effort on the part of processing plants to keep pig prices down.
While producer returns have not been as buoyant as I would wish, recent evidence from the market indicates an upward trend in prices. In the past month average pig prices have increased by about £2 per 100kg.
I am very conscious of the need to sustain producer confidence if the sector is to develop and the price level is an essential element in this.