Moderate 2025 outlook for pig farmers in Ireland
Following high losses in 2021 and 2022 and a return to profitability in 2023 and 2024, the Irish pig sector is expected to see moderate levels of profitability in 2025. That is according to the Outlook 2025 report of the Irish agricultural and food development and research authority Teagasc.
In 2025, the pig price in Ireland is forecast to be 202 cents per kilo, significantly less than the 220 cents per kilo in the previous year and the 224 cents per kilo in 2023. Pig feed prices are expected to further decrease, be it marginally. The annual composite pig feed price is expected to be €369 per tonnes, on par with 2024 but significantly less than in the 2 previous years, Teagasc says.
Irish sow herd
The size of the Irish sow herd is expected to marginally increase in 2025, after a significant reduction in 2022-2023. The tight supply volume of Irish pigs is expected to continue. Based on the national census of agriculture at April 30th, 2024, the Irish department for agriculture reported the national herd to consist of 1,372 active herds keeping 1,540,581 pigs, which comprised 139,973 breeding pigs, 1,399,524 fattening pigs and 1,084 non-production pigs. The average number of pigs kept on an active pig herd in Ireland was 1,123 in 2023, which shows a slight increase on the average of 1,064 pigs per active herd in 2022. Just under 1,000 active herds recorded keeping 20 or fewer pigs.
Feed costs
Looking back at the past year, Teagasc estimates that the annual average feed cost in 2024 was 134 cent per kilo dwt. This is lower than the 2023 figure (155 cent), but equal to the 5 year average (2020-24) of 134.5 cent per kilo. At 220 cent per kilo, the 2024 Irish pig price was marginally lower than for 2023 but significantly higher than the five year average (2020-2024) of 192 cent per kg.
Slaughtered pigs
The volume of Irish pigs slaughtered last year increased to 3.58 million in 2024, which was an increase of 100,000 pigs (2.8 percent) on the 2023 level and similar to a level of 10 years earlier in 2015. In 2024, of the 3.58 million pigs of Republic of Ireland origin that were slaughtered, 403,000 were slaughtered in British Northern Ireland. This is an increase of 50,000 head, which reverses the decline of recent years.
Irish Farmers Association
The largest farmers union in the country, the Irish Farmers Association, is not happy with the recent developments in the pig prices. Irish pig prices fell by 6c/kilo at the end of October bringing the average price back to 208 cents/kilo, including VAT. “This is possibly a reflection of the weekly throughput back at levels of circa 65,000 pigs per week and cheaper EU meat available. The UK market is and was adding much value to our Irish pig price over the past number of months. It is indeed a very important market for us here in Ireland. It seems as though there is likely cheaper EU meat available for consumption in the UK which is likely putting pressure on prices too,” the IFA says.
Therefore, the Pigs Committee led by Chairman, Roy Gallie, ´are in engagements with factories, secondary processors, retailers, the foodservice sector and also within the channels of government procurement in an effort to try and stem the drops in pig price´, the Union says.
