June 20, 2007

EU may need to start pork intervention purchases
 

Hungary will call on Brussels to start pork intervention purchases to help ease the surplus problems faced by various bloc members.

With Russia banning Polish meat on sanitary and food safety grounds, Polish pig prices have been on the decline, with some 4 million unsold pigs accumulated in Poland.

In response, Poland has diverted sale of these pigs to other markets across the bloc, with most of these extra shipments going to Hungary. In 2006, Hungary imported over half a million pigs from Poland alone.

Hungary and Poland are expected to meet and discuss this issue soon.