Pig prices in Germany have steadied at €1.27 a kilogram this week, despite a series of import bans after a case of African swine fever (ASF) was found in the country, the association of German animal farmers VEZG said.
Prices had been about €1.47 a kilogram slaughter weight before the ASF case was confirmed on Thursday, and fell to €1.27 a kilogram on Friday.
China, South Korea and Japan have all banned German pork imports in the past few days after a case of ASF was found in a wild boar - not a farm animal - in east Germany.
The disease is not dangerous to humans but is fatal to pigs, and pork importing nations often impose import bans on countries where it has been found, even in wild animals.
Pork Exports
German pork exports to China more than doubled in the first half of this year, Germany's statistics office said on Wednesday.
"In the slaughterhouse pig market, the ASF events and the repercussions for the export markets continue to cause uncertainty," the association said. "But after the strong price falls last week unchanged prices for slaughterhouse pigs were named."
One trader said the loss of Chinese and other export markets had been priced in on Friday, and attention was now on how fast Germany could develop alternative export markets, especially in the European Union where German pork exports are still allowed.
