Polish and German pig prices rebound as EU supply tightens

Three-week decline turns into a rapid recovery

Poland’s slaughter-pig market has reversed sharply after a prolonged period of weak prices. Agri.BG reported on August 7 that quotations had risen over the preceding three weeks as the supply of finished pigs tightened across the European Union. Germany, the main reference market for Polish producers and processors, also moved higher.

Price data published by the Polish pig breeders’ and producers’ association POLSUS illustrate the scale of the reversal. The Polish quotation fell to 5.80 zlotys per kilogram in week 29 of 2026, then climbed to 6.33 zlotys in week 30, 6.83 zlotys in week 31 and 7.37 zlotys in week 32. That represents an increase of 1.57 zlotys per kilogram, or about 27%, in three weeks.

Germany’s price remained at €1.40 per kilogram through week 31 before increasing to €1.50 in week 32. The German quotation subsequently reached €1.60 in weeks 33 and 34, according to POLSUS. These movements matter in Poland because German reference prices strongly influence negotiations between Polish livestock suppliers and meat plants.

Lower availability strengthens producers’ position

Bartosz Czarniak of POLSUS linked the change primarily to shifts in EU pork exports and a decline in the pig herd, Agri.BG reported. A smaller pool of slaughter-ready animals gives farmers more leverage when processors compete for deliveries. It also reduces the ability of buyers to hold procurement prices at the levels recorded during the earlier market downturn.

The recovery began from a weak base. CenyRolnicze reported on July 23 that maximum Polish prices were around 6.10 zlotys per kilogram for class E pigs, following a weekly rise of 12.96%. Czarniak said at the time that the increase would reduce part of producers’ losses, although prices still remained below levels that would give farmers confidence in the profitability of production.

The German market was initially less dynamic. The VEZG reference stayed at €1.40 per kilogram even as the number of available pigs declined, according to CenyRolnicze. Its later increase to €1.50 provided additional support for Polish quotations and signalled that tighter supply was no longer confined to one national market.

Processors face higher raw-material costs

For slaughterhouses and meat processors, the price rebound raises the cost of securing animals after months of weaker farmgate conditions. Plants with limited inventories or fixed delivery commitments may feel the change first. Their margins will depend on whether wholesale buyers and retailers accept corresponding increases for carcasses, cuts and processed pork products.

Producers benefit immediately from higher procurement prices, but the earlier decline shows how quickly market conditions can change. Decisions to expand finishing operations will also depend on piglet prices, feed costs and confidence that slaughter-pig quotations can remain above production costs. A short supply-driven rally alone does not guarantee sustained profitability.

Regional meat trade will remain an important balancing mechanism. If prices in Poland rise faster than those in neighbouring markets, processors can look for cheaper animals or pork elsewhere in the EU where sanitary rules and logistics permit. If limited pig availability is widespread, however, competition between plants is likely to keep procurement prices firm and transfer more of the increase along the pork supply chain.