May 29, 2026
 

Thai pig farmers sustain losses as farm-gate prices fall to THB54 – 58/kg despite demand recovery

Rising feed corn costs and suspected illegal pork supply are compounding pressure on small-scale producers already squeezed by retail competition.

Thai pig farmers are incurring average losses of THB1,500–1,800 (US$44–53) per animal as farm-gate prices have fallen to THB54–58 per kilogram (US$1.60–1.72) in some regions, well below estimated production costs of THB70–72 per kilogram (US$2.07–2.13), even as domestic pork consumption shows signs of recovery.

Kiattiphum Pruksawan, secretary-general of the National Swine Raisers Association, said farm-gate prices had declined sharply from THB68–70 per kilogram (US$2.01–2.07) at the start of the monitoring period, driven in part by a significant rise in feed corn prices. Corn, which accounts for 40–50% of pig feed formulations, rose from around THB10.25 per kilogram (US$0.30) in April to THB12.20–12.90 per kilogram (US$0.36–0.38), adding approximately THB2–3 per kilogram to production costs.

Daily pork consumption recovered to around 65,000–66,000 pigs per day in May, close to the Q1 average of 66,000–67,000 per day, after slowing to approximately 61,600 per day in April. Kiattiphum said the demand recovery indicated that the price weakness was not demand-driven.

The association has pointed to rapid expansion of retail pork shops, including large-company-operated chains with hundreds of branches, as a structural factor undermining farm-gate bargaining power, particularly for smaller producers. Sitthiphan Thanakiatphinyo, president of the association, said a piglet production cycle reduction programme, now in its third month, had not yet produced the expected price recovery.

"When consumer demand has not declined, but farm-gate prices remain below 70 baht, there are concerns that the market may have additional supply from unknown external sources," Sitthiphan said, adding that the situation required further investigation.

In week 21 of 2026, farm-gate live pig prices remained below production cost across all monitored regions, ranging from THB56–60 per kilogram (US$1.66–1.78) in the East to THB64–66 per kilogram (US$1.90–1.95) in the Northeast. The association said it is preparing to submit a letter to the Department of Special Investigation seeking an update on active pork-smuggling cases.

- The Nation