During the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting held on 23 February 2026, Romania — backed by Hungary, Malta, Poland, and Slovakia — raised the issue of urgent support for the pig sector within existing EU mechanisms.
According to the European Commission, continuous declines in pig carcass prices have been observed across the EU since October 2025, intensifying economic pressure on producers and threatening farm profitability. In December 2025, compared to the same period of the previous year, prices for S-class carcasses fell by an average of 19.9% across the EU (18.6% in Romania), while E-class carcass prices declined by 16.8% in the EU and by 17.7% in Romania.
At the beginning of 2026, the negative trend accelerated, resulting in a sharp drop in procurement prices for live pigs. In Romania, during week 4 of the year (19–25 January 2026), prices decreased by 9.55% compared to the previous week, by 19.17% compared to the previous month, and by more than 21% compared to both the same period in 2025 and the five-year average.
Market imbalance is also reflected in the increase in average carcass weight, which rose by 5% in Romania over four weeks. This indicates an accumulation of pigs on farms due to declining demand and slower market turnover.
Among the key causes of the crisis are China’s tariff restrictions on EU pork imports, introduced for the next five years, as well as export barriers imposed by third countries due to African swine fever and their non-recognition of the EU’s regionalisation system.
According to the Romanian side, producers are currently facing losses ranging from €35 to €40 per slaughter pig. In this context, the delegation called on the European Commission to consider activating exceptional support measures under Article 219 of EU Regulation No. 1308/2013, which provides for market interventions in the event of serious disturbances.
The discussion highlights growing concern among EU member states regarding the financial stability of the pig sector and the need for rapid decisions to prevent a deeper crisis.
PigUA.info based on materials from pig333.com