— Over the last five years, we have been in the red zone for almost four years. Even with conservative estimates, the difference in the sales price was approximately PLN 50 per piece. As a result, I lost about PLN 400,000 over four years. zloty – said Dariusz Łukaszewski during the committee meeting. He is a farmer from the Nowe Miasto district who has been producing for years in the so-called red zone associated with the occurrence of African swine fever (ASF).
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Prices are rising slightly, but the market is still under pressure
Experts indicate that although purchase prices have started to stabilize in recent weeks, the situation in the industry remains difficult. As informed by Katarzyna Gołębiowska from the Department of Agricultural Markets, in the first week of March, the price of live pigs was approximately PLN 5.45 per kilogram.
The price drops in the previous months were due to, among others, from China's introduction of anti-dumping duties and moderate demand for pork. Additionally, the domestic market reacts strongly to quotations in Germany, which are a reference point for many European Union countries.
Drastic decline in the number of farms
The problem is also structural. Over the last 15 years, the number of farms keeping pigs in Poland has decreased from over 400,000. up to approximately 50 thousand
According to Marek Wigier from the Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, the dependence of Polish production on imports is also growing. More and more breeders base their production on weaners imported from abroad. It is estimated that imports already exceed this 8 million pieces per yearand the value of this market is even PLN 2.5–3 billion.
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Costs are rising faster than purchase prices
MPs also drew attention to the difficult situation. — Today, a kilogram of livestock costs approx PLN 5.40just like 20 years ago. During this time, the minimum wage increased from approximately PLN 1,500 to almost PLN 5,000, said Fryderyk Kapinosz from PiS.
Experts and farmers agree that It is crucial to rebuild the domestic sow population and limit the import of weaners. Greater pig production in the country would also mean greater use of domestic grains in feed production. MEPs also drew attention to the need for a more effective fight against ASF and strengthening the biological security of farms.
