UK pig prices continue to head in an upward direction to a new record, amid tight supplies and strong EU prices.
The EU-spec SPP increased by a further 1.66p to reach 211.41p per kg during the week ended 11 March.
The National Pig Association (NPA) said this figure would, in the past, have been "unimaginable".
This follows the previous week’s 2.04p rise and means the index has now gained more than 11p in the space of just nine weeks this year to stand at 72p ahead of a year ago.
The NPA said that along with lower input costs, many pig producers were now starting to return a profit on their production.
However, the industry body warned that there was still a "very long way to go to claw back the losses of the past two years".
Recent figures published by Defra show that England alone has lost one-fifth of its female breeding pig herd following the industry's heavy financial losses.
Elsewhere, prices in Europe have been moving up at record pace, as tight supplies combine with steady domestic demand and higher retail prices, along with reasonable export sales.
After gaining 14p in the space of just three weeks, the EU reference price was up by a more modest 1.79p to reach 200.79p/kg during the week ended 5 March.
While prices were generally more static Spain gained a further 4.6p to stand at nearly 202p/kg, while France gained a 3.7p to reach 204p/kg.
The gap between the EU and UK reference prices now stands at just 7.7p, well below typical levels. In late-January, the gap was nearly 30p.
Estimated slaughterings during the week ended 11 March were nearly 2,000 up on the week at just over 156,000, but, more significantly, 41,000 below 2022 levels and 34,000 below the 2021 figure.
