Pig prices continued their downward trend over the festive period, losing a further 0.8p over the last two weeks of 2023.
The EU-spec SPP reached 213.85p per kg following consecutive drops of 0.24p and 0.56p during two weeks ended 30 December, according to AHDB figures.
While it has now dipped nearly 11p below the early-August high of 225.64p/kg, the price index was still more than 13p ahead of the final week of 2022.
The more volatile APP, which includes premium pigs, gained 0.23p, having lost 1.43p the previous week, to stand at 214.3p/kg during the week ended 23 December.
The EU reference price fell during the first half of December, dropping back by a further 0.6p during the week ended 17 December to 181.86p/kg.
It has lost more than 3p in total since late November and more than 33p since the mid-July high of 215p/kg.
The gap to the UK reference price widened again to exactly 30p, significantly bigger than the single-figure gap seen for much of last year. Imports remain very competitive.
In the final week before Christmas, ending 23 December, estimated GB slaughterings were down by 7,500 on the week to 164,190 head.
This was 10,000 down on the same week a year ago, following a deficit of more than 40,000 the previous week. During the final week of 2023, the figure was 94,841, 34,000 down on the last week of 2022.
Carcase weights fluctuated over the festive period, dropping to 87.75kg during the week ended December 23, the first time the average dipped below 88kg in 2023, before increasing to 89.33kg in the final week of the year.
This compared with an early November high of 91kg and was 1kg heavier than the same week in 2022.
