According to the Association of Pork Producers in Romania, wholesale prices have fallen to around 4.5 lei/kg (€0.88), while production costs are estimated at 6.57 lei/kg (€1.29). One of the key factors is the redirection of pork flows from Spain amid the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak, which has intensified competition on the domestic market.
Industry representatives note that farmers have been selling below cost for more than 20 consecutive weeks, significantly worsening the financial situation of farms. According to the association’s president, Adrian Balaban, such conditions are unsustainable in the long term and will inevitably lead to a decline in production.
In a worst-case scenario, up to 50% of pig farms could suspend operations as early as this summer. This would further weaken food security, as Romania is already a net importer of pork.
Producers are calling on the government to take urgent support measures, but no final decisions on compensation or intervention schemes have been made so far.
At the same time, the domestic ASF situation remains under control: in 2026, 24 outbreaks have been recorded in backyard farms and wild boar populations, while commercial pig farms have not been affected. However, industry participants stress that this is not enough to offset the pressure from low prices and rising imports.
PigUA.info, based on pigprogress.net