The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has said that there is currently strong market demand for Irish quality assured (QA) pigmeat.

The chair of the association's pig and pigmeat committee, Michael Caffrey said that pig prices are beginning to rise as increased competition for pigs strengthens the market.

He said that some farmers have reported quotes above official prices over the past few weeks, signalling growing demand.

"The recent unofficial increases from some processors reflect the strong demand for pigs, which is welcome news for producers," he said.

"With the market showing upward momentum, pig farmers are advised to stay informed and capitalise on these improving conditions.

"Prices are expected to remain firm in the coming weeks as competition for supplies intensifies,” Caffrey added.

Meanwhile, the number of pigs slaughtered in Ireland in January was recorded at 298,000 head, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

This was largely unchanged from the same month last year.

Separate CSO data released earlier this week confirmed that the total number of pigs in Ireland rose by 66,100 in the year to December 2024 to 1,473,700 (+4.7%).

Breeding pigs were down from 126,800 to 122,200 (-3.6%), while other sows for breeding showed the largest decrease, dropping by 5,800 (-19.2%).

Other pigs increased by 70,700 (+5.5%) to 1,351,500 in December 2024, with pigs 80kg and over showing the largest increase of 25,100 (+9.2%).

This was followed by pigs 50kg and under rising by 18,400 (+6.6%).