Pig prices remain subdued in oversupplied market

Pig prices remain suppressed amid ongoing supply and demand imbalances, both in the UK and further afield.

In the week to 25 July, the UK Standard Pig Price stood at 178.34p/kg dw, which was down 1.36p/kg on the week before.

Compared with the same week last year, the price is 30p/kg lower. The number of pigs in the sample increased by 1,502 on the week to 51,625. 

See also: Find all our market prices in one place

According to the AHDB, UK clean pig slaughterings increased by 4.7% in June, to 889,105, bringing the year-to-date throughput to 5.27m head – up 2.4%, year-on-year.

Total pigmeat production rose to 82,800t in June, bringing year-to-date production to 507,000t, up 5% on last year.

The AHDB estimates that pig producers lost £4/head in net margin in the first quarter of 2026.

Pork exports totalled 147,376t in the year to May 2026, up 17,825t on the year, with the value rising by £1.7m to £227.5m.

Over the same period, imports fell from 308,998t to 290,382t, equating to a value of £1.02bn versus £1.13bn last year.

Retail sales in the UK fell by 3.4% in the 12 weeks to 14 June (year-on-year), to 0.2bn kg, with the spend down 2.7% to £1.5bn.

Average prices increased by 0.7% to £7.39/kg. Food service sales fell by 4.6% in the year to 14 June, to 147.5m kg, with savoury pastries and breakfast meals leading the decline.

“Pork demand, along with demand for many other staples and consumer products and services, has suffered, exacerbated by a significant cost of living squeeze for consumers,” said international pig market analyst Dr John Strak in Pig Progress.

“The extreme heat in many parts of Europe may have dulled consumer appetites.”

US productivity

And while many producers have contracted their breeding herds, high productivity in the US continues to drive supply.

As of 1 June, the breeding inventory was down by 1.2% on the year, to 5.88m head, whereas the total pig population was virtually unchanged at 73.67m head.

But while export demand for US pork has been strong, poor producer margins will start to have an impact at some point, he predicted.

“In China, formerly a major importer of pigmeat on the world market, the pig sector is struggling to reduce output as the competing forces of low prices and new productive technologies try to find a balance.”

Chinese pork imports have slumped, with domestic prices on the floor, said Dr Strak.

“In response, the authorities have created new rules in an attempt to get the industry to reduce capacity,” he added.

Disease challenge

Meanwhile, the newly identified porcine syndrome, linked to a parvovirus variant, has emerged beyond its initial outbreak zone in the Netherlands.

Outbreaks have now been reported in Denmark, Belgium, Spain and Germany.

With the EU average pig price down about 24% year-on-year in June, emergency support has been requested for the pig sectors in several EU member states.

“The current heatwave should subside, but the forces behind weak prices in the EU and the UK are likely to persist beyond the summer,” noted Dr Strak.

“The [price] cycle has been in a negative phase throughout the first half of 2026. That downward phase shows no sign of levelling off, far less showing a turning point. Pig prices are set to be in a trough for the remainder of the year.”