Dear readers,

                   The markets are mostly stable and will probably stay close to the actual level in the next two weeks, but let’s see some other good news also:

• Even with the Russian blockade on the Black Sea, 6 million tons of grain has already been successfully exported from the ports of the Odesa region on the alternative Black Sea corridor
• The acquisition of Choice Genetics France, Brazil and Poland by Axiom was completed last week
• “Having gathered strong indications that in the recent decades the increase of temperature is potentially the cause of the increased CO₂ concentration, while the opposite is not probable” is stated in a study published recently by the prestigious British Royal Society, link provided below:

Merry Christmas!

                   Usually, in this period, I am trying to provide only good news to accompany you through the succession of two major celebrations.

                   While we can see some price decreases in the east of Europe, in the recent history this is the longest period with high prices for the pigs. Piglet prices are also good, farmers will close, overall, a profitable year.

                   Meat industry was caught in the middle this year, forced to pay high prices for the less and less available pigs, high energy prices in the beginning of the year, struggling to find work force, while the retail has maintained high prices for the consumers, consumption encouraging offers appeared only now, in the winter holiday season. Related to this, there are almost no stocks of frozen meat, so it will be interesting to see the way the HORECA industry will prepare the summer season.

                   With the short working weeks following, there is some time to be spent home, with the beloved ones, also for the farmers.

Merry Christmas !

European pig and piglet prices: HW= Hot weight; L= live weight;

COUNTRY	PIG(EUR)	TREND	PIGLET(EUR)	TREND	OBSERVATION
GERMANY	2,1 HW		73/25 kg
NETHERLANDS	1,98-2,12 HW		68,5/25 kg
BELGIUM	1,52 L		67/20 kg
DANEMARK	1,705 HW		80/30 kg
FRANCE	1,78 HW
ITALY	1,86/1,87 L115kg, 2,21/2,22 L160kg, DOC		117/30 kg
SPAIN	1,64 -1,65 L		76-85/20kg
PORTUGAL	2,3 HW
AUSTRIA	2,07 HW		94/31 kg
POLAND	1,48-1,82 L		79-120/20-30 kg		Partner info; no quotation
CROATIA	2,0-2,2 HW		97-102 / 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
SERBIA	2,3 L		110-117/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
CZECH R.	2,1 HW		69-74/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
SLOVAKIA	1,73 -1,8 L		92-97/25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
HUNGARY	1,76 – 1,9 L		92-97/ 25 kg		Partner info; no quotation
ROMANIA	1,81 – 2,1 L		92-97/25kg		Partner info; no quotation