German pork producers struggle with ASF, COVID impact

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German pork producers struggle with ASF, COVID impact

Pork supplies in Germany are high, and prices are low as export restrictions impact the EU’s largest pork producer.  Since African Swine Fever was found in Germany’s wild boar population, the country’s producers have been unable to sell their farm-raised pork to their usual trading partners.

A Bloomberg report says German farmers are losing about 71 dollars per animal as prices have fallen more than 40% since March.  The November 18th price for producers was 1.19 Euros per kilogram, or about $.64 a pound.

Along with African Swine Fever, COVID-19 has forced many German restaurants to shut down, which is cutting into the domestic market.  On top of that, German pork producers have a backlog of hundreds of thousands of pigs they cannot ship to market.

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