February 17, 2011

French farmers threaten halt of pig meat deliveries

French farmers in the west of France have threatened to stop consignments of pig meat on the road by checking and seizing pig products which are not stamped as French pig meat or Viande de Porc Française (VPF).

The threat, which occurred yesterday (Feb 16), emanates from the Loire valley but covers a lot of France's main pig producing area, and is as vague as it is potentially disruptive.

The ultimatum comes as supermarkets and suppliers face a February 28 deadline to conclude legally binding supply contracts for 2011.

There are growing numbers of pig farmers in the region who face bankruptcy as their holdings have lost up to EUR30 (US$40.78) per pig over the past three years, while retail prices (for loin products) have remained stable.

Last year a delegation of pig farmers from the Loire regional farmers' union visited Germany on an inconclusive factfinding mission. Among the oversights noted at the time by the Marché du Porc Breton (MPB) was the direct comparison between a (lower) French price based on farmgate collection and a (higher) German price based on abattoir arrival (delivered).

Since then, cereal prices have risen steadily and the German dioxin crisis has hit the press, to the growing dismay of producers in France's largest pig region.