HAMBURG - German pig prices have risen again as sales in the European Union helped markets recover from import bans on German pork imposed by China and other Asian buyers, traders and industry sources said on Wednesday.
German pig prices on Wednesday rose to 1.50 euros a kg slaughter weight from 1.40 euros last week and 1.21 euros in February, said the association of German animal farmers VEZG.
The volumes offered in the German slaughterhouse pig market “are not enough to meet demand,” the VEZG said.
China and other Asian countries banned German pork imports in September 2020 after African swine fever was found in wild boars in east Germany, not farm animals, causing falling pig prices. This led to trade displacement, with other EU countries raising exports to China, while German sales to Europe increased.
"Sales inside the EU are going well and there are hopes of more exports outside Europe," one German meat trader said.
Germany’s government said on Friday that Vietnam and several other countries had agreed to reopen their markets to German pork by accepting the “regionalisation” concept. Under this, imports are stopped only from the region of a country in which ASF has been found instead of a blanket ban on all pork imports.
ASF has been found in wild boars only, not farm pigs, in regions of east Germany close to Poland.
“Vietnam is Germany’s fifth largest pork export market outside the EU so the move could mean noticeable export volumes could be generated again,” the trader added. “There is also hope that other Asian countries could start to reopen to our pork, but sadly the biggest market, China, remains closed.”
German piglet prices also rose to 45 euros per animal from 40 euros last week and 32.50 euros in early February, the association said.
(Reporting by Michael Hogan, editing by Steve Orlofsky) ((michael.j.hogan@thomsonreuters.com; +49 172 671 36 54; Reuters Messaging: michael.hogan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
