Last Friday's trading concluded with a price revision for slaughter-ready pigs by 1-2 UAH/kg upward. Most commercial lots this week are being purchased at 94–97 UAH/kg, although offers 1 UAH/kg higher or lower than these benchmarks are occasionally encountered. The weighted average market price settled at 94.5 UAH/kg, which is 1.1% higher than the previous week.
Meat processing representatives acknowledge consistently sluggish trading activity against the backdrop of rising prices. Intensified domestic competition among chilled pork suppliers and more frequent shelling compel several operators to somewhat reduce procurement volumes for the coming weeks to avoid carry-over inventory. At the same time, they note a decrease in pork supply due to more pronounced pressure from seasonal factors. Specifically, operators report that available pork supply is weakened by lower average slaughter weights and/or smaller commercial lots, which stimulates price growth. The latter, according to most procurement specialists, will not be limited to a one-time correction, so next week they expect at least an increase in minimum price benchmarks.
