Stomach Keeps Making Noises When I Lie Down

clear for pig farmers





The German dioxin scandal cost the local pig farmers at least € 1.5 million. Prices are rising again.

HANS GMEINER Salzburg (SN). Two weeks ago, even the local pig farmers were shaking in front of a "price-tsunami," as they called it. They feared that in the wake of the German feed scandal crash in Austria prices. Now comes from all sides-clear. First, a

helped by the European Commission asked quickly on their feet storage action to calm the markets. On the other hand, the peasants helped themselves, especially in Germany, but also in Austria, many farmers did not sell the pigs given the historically low prices, but they were in the stables are. That worked. The tight supply ensured prompt for a change in the market. Since last week, the prices rise again. In Austria, the prices rose after a week with a loss of ten cents per kilogram again by the same ten cents. The damage to the industry is still considerable. Hans Schlederer, Managing Director of the Austrian pork market, estimates that alone cost this week, the farmers around 1.5 million €.

In Germany, where the decline was much stronger, it is now assumed that the pig market quickly recovered further. In Austria, is more cautious. "The situation is difficult," says Schlederer. "The domestic processors have the low level used in recent weeks to stock up with supplies." Instead, they bought in Austria still prefer cheaper Germany. Market experts Schlederer estimates that just in the crisis phase, when fear of German meat wide, made of at least 20,000 pigs were also imported from Germany. "The meat is indeed okay, but it pushed the price."

The further development now depended primarily on how quickly that would currently open for German meat markets of Russia and South Korea blocked again.

Although there should go up the border bars in the next four weeks is to be expected, according Schlederer so that farmers are facing at least the next six months even with the consequences of the dioxin scandal. "The stored meat is so, even if metered back into the market."

This is not the only concern the domestic pig. Worry lines them the rising feed costs drive on the forehead. Thus, the profitability of pig production is also under pressure from a second side. This explains the fierce resistance of the pig farmers against the plans, the domestic production to the more expensive non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) soy feeding switch. It is already proven that the meat also GMO-free, except when the animals were fed genetically modified soy, which is imported from overseas. They are afraid to sit on the additional cost.


Salzburger Nachrichten Economy / 03.02.2011 / Print