The latest decline in the UK standard pig price has come as a 'surprise', the National Pig Association (NPA) has said.
The EU-spec SPP dropped by 1.23p during the week ended 8 June to stand at 210.16p/kg, while the all pig price (APP) also recorded a big loss.
The NPA said the 'surprise' fall in the pig price was the biggest movement either way for the price index since mid-October.
It broke a 'remarkably stable' run dating back to mid-January that has seen the SPP confined within a narrow band of less than 1p (210.67-211.61p/kg), the body said.
The SPP is now 3.7p below where it was at the start of the year and nearly 12p below a year ago.
The APP, which includes premium pigs, also recorded a major decline, falling by 2.65p during the week ended 1 June to stand at 211.06p/kg.
This wiped out the gains made over the previous three weeks, the NPA said, adding that it had left it 0.33p behind the SPP for the week.
The significant drops have been recorded despite the fact that EU prices are currently very stable and pig supplies appear to be tight.
The European reference price dropped back very slightly during the week ended 2 June to 188.15p/kg, with the gap to the equivalent UK reference price now just over 21p, a fairly typical difference.
