Published in Market Analysis
Europe's Pork Prices Hit Multi-Year Lows as Oversupply Weighs on Producers
Pig carcass prices across the EU have fallen more than 26% year-on-year, with producers in multiple countries now selling below their production costs as UK output surges and cheap European pork flows into neighboring markets.
Martina Osmak
Director of Marketing
EU Prices at Their Lowest in Years
The European Commission's Meat Market Observatory published its weekly pigmeat price report on June 24, 2026, and the numbers make difficult reading for anyone selling pork in Europe right now.
The weighted average price for EU pig carcasses (Classes S and E combined) stood at 160.3 euros per 100 kg in Week 25 of 2026. That is:
Down 0.6% compared to the previous week
Down 1.6% over the past four weeks
Down 26.4% compared to the same week last year
Down 23.9% compared to the 2021–2025 average
Breaking this down by class: Class S reached 162.3 euros per 100 kg (down 26.1% year-on-year), Class E came in at 156.4 euros (down 26.6% year-on-year), and Class R - the highest-priced category - was at 186.7 euros (down 17.3% year-on-year).
Piglet prices tell a similar story. The EU average piglet price fell to 47.8 euros per head in Week 25, a drop of 5.9% from the previous week and 35.3% below the same week in 2025.
Producers Are Selling at a Loss
The price decline is not just a market correction. For many pig farmers across the EU, current prices no longer cover what it costs to produce the animal.
Country-level prices in late June 2026 show just how tight margins have become:
Spain: €1.29/kg
France: €1.27/kg
Germany: €1.25/kg
Netherlands: €1.18/kg
Denmark: €1.11/kg
With estimated EU production costs at around €1.37/kg, none of these countries are profitable at current prices. As analysts at Ukragroconsult put it bluntly: "Producers across the EU are operating at a loss."
On the German VEZG exchange - one of the key benchmark markets in Europe - market-weight hog half-carcasses were priced at €1.50/kg for the coming week, while sow half-carcasses dropped to just €0.63/kg.
The UK: More Pigs, Tighter Margins
In the United Kingdom, a different but related story is unfolding. UK pig meat production in the first quarter of 2026 came in at 257,000 tonnes - a 5.3% rise year-on-year that beat earlier forecasts by a wide margin. The initial projection had expected a 2% contraction.
Two factors drove the increase. First, clean pig slaughter rose 2.3% to 2.64 million head. Second, average carcase weights reached 94.2 kg, around 2.8 kg heavier than in Q1 2025. AHDB, the UK's Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, now forecasts full-year 2026 pig meat production at roughly 1.03 million tonnes, up 5% from the 978,000 tonnes recorded in 2025.
Despite higher volumes, UK pig producers are also under price pressure. The GB EU-spec standard pig price (SPP) stood at 177.98p/kg in the week ending June 13, with most producers earning negative net margins when costs are factored in.
This oversupply is not expected to last. As the current backlog of pigs clears and the breeding herd continues to contract, AHDB forecasts UK output will fall back to around 952,400 tonnes in 2027 - a 7.2% drop from 2026.
The Ripple Effect: Ukraine and Moldova Feel the Pressure
Cheap European pork does not stay within EU borders. As prices fall, larger volumes flow into neighboring markets, undercutting local producers.
In Ukraine, purchase prices for live pigs during the week of June 22-28, 2026 were set at 70-71 hryvnias per kilogram (equivalent to approximately €1.36-1.38/kg), already down 4-5 hryvnias/kg compared to the week before. Cheap EU imports are cited as a key factor.
In Moldova, the situation is even more pronounced. Pork half-carcass prices have dropped to 39-40 Moldovan lei per kilogram (approximately €1.96-2.01/kg), which the chairman of the Moldovan Pork Producers Association, Adrian Burduja, described as the lowest price since 2016.
What This Means for Pork Buyers and Sellers
For B2B buyers sourcing pork in Europe, current conditions represent a genuine window of opportunity. Prices are well below their recent historical average, and supply is abundant.
For sellers and producers, the key questions are:
How long will oversupply conditions persist? AHDB and other analysts suggest the current pig backlog will gradually clear through 2026, with tighter supply expected in 2027.
How much further can prices fall? With most EU producers already selling at a loss, further cuts are not sustainable - but market corrections take time.
Is the ASF situation in Spain still a factor? Spain's African swine fever outbreak in late 2025 redirected large volumes of Spanish pork into the EU domestic market, contributing to the current oversupply. Traders should monitor whether restrictions ease or tighten.
The pork market in mid-2026 rewards patient buyers and tests sellers' cash flow. Watching AHDB weekly updates and the European Commission's Meat Market Observatory reports is the best way to stay ahead of price movements.