EU pigmeat data make cut-specific purchasing more important than the average carcass price

The European Commission’s latest market report shows why European pigmeat cannot be read from one price figure alone. In week 37, the EU average carcass price for classes S and E was €169.34 per 100 kilograms. That level was 15.9% below the corresponding period a year earlier, although slightly higher than in the preceding week. Piglets were quoted at €44.38 per head, 28.4% below the prior-year level.

At the same time, production data do not describe a uniform retreat. Through June, EU pig slaughter rose by 0.4% in head count compared with the same period in 2025; in tonnes, the increase was 0.3%. Behind these averages sit substantial differences between Member States. Purchasing based only on an “EU pork price” label can therefore blur trends in availability, weights, cut structure and margin pressure.

External trade also requires a destination-specific reading. Extra-EU exports of pig products from January to May 2026 were 1.4% lower in volume than in the same period of 2025. Shipments to China fell 20.6%, while South Korea rose 52.2% and Vietnam 29.6%. These movements are not interchangeable: each market absorbs different combinations of cuts and variety products.

For cutting, processing and retail, the conclusion is that planning must connect carcass prices with actual raw-material availability and the destination of each part. A seemingly cheaper market does not automatically create a lower cost for every product. Value is determined by the combination of weight, specification, yield and sales channel.