International pig prices continue to fall: For how long and how far?

In the late 1990s, the Spanish swine industry faced a crucial decision … whether to sustain rapid growth or proceed with caution. Despite uncertainties, the industry chose growth, leading to 35,5 million pigs slaughtered in Spain by 2000. The industry saw a pivotal shift towards vertical integration in 2000, when a major integrator group acquired a key slaughterhouse in Barcelona. However, challenges arose from June 2001 to May 2002 with outbreaks of classical swine fever, causing a drop in pig prices and the exit of some farmers. Despite this setback, growth resumed, and in 2008, China approved Spanish slaughterhouses as pork suppliers, marking the beginning of a significant chapter in the industry’s history.

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The South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) coordinates industry interventions and collaboratively manages risks in the value chain to enable the sustainability and profitability of pork producers in South Africa.