Pork crisis: crucial meeting at the Department to resume trading in meat – Liberation

The actors of the pig sector are found on Monday at the Ministry of Agriculture to allow a resumption of trading in Breton Pork Market (MPB), suspended for one week before a series of meetings devoted to the structural problems of the sector.

This round table is to bring together officials of Brazilian Plérin (Côtes d’Armor), which established the national reference price of meat pork, but also representatives of farmers slaughtering and processing enterprises.

The aim is to allow the resumption of trading, suspended since last Monday after the decision of Bigard and Cooperl cooperative, two of the main buyers of MPB, not to present at the meetings last week.

“deep structural reforms”

Organized at the request of the Chairman of MPB, this meeting aims to contribute, “ short term, to bring the fluidity on the market ,” says one to the Ministry. “ We must now secure the producers supplying the market in the dial and prevent animals remain without buyers in farms. ” But “ while important, (she ) does not condition the future of French pig industry , “they add. “ It can not be the only answer to the problems of the sector that requires deep structural reforms .”

On Friday, the president of the Brazilian Daniel Picart, held that “ this round table (would) decide life or survival of the Breton Pork Market, and obviously, after that, of life and survival of the pig industry . ” In an attempt to end the crisis in the pig and after several punch stock breeders in the spring, the Government in mid-June advocated a pork purchase price at € 1.40 / kg ( the average cost of production), a price finally reached on July 23 at MPB Plérin (Côtes d’Armor).

But this level, “ the highest in Europe “according to the union of industrial meat (SNIV-SNCP), is not to the liking of companies cutting and processing, that face, for export, the distortions of competition created by differences social contribution and environmental standards between EU countries. Thus, in the European market, destabilized by the Russian embargo, Germany offers the cheapest pork 28 cents per kilo compared to the French courts, and the Netherlands 38 cents cheaper, according to Cooperl, leader in France on the pork market and exports 35% of its production.

“Back to the open market price”

The cooperative, which represents 19% of Brazilian purchases, refuses finance “ a course” policy “to support French pig production .” During the round table, on which it represented, she wants to be decided “ a return to a free market price ” depending on supply and demand.

Bigard / Socopa, the market leader for meat in France, representing 7% of Brazilian purchases, is on the same wavelength, but gave no element to his presence on Monday.

Both will meet the Minister of Agriculture Stéphane Le Foll Tuesday and Wednesday “ to address both short-term issues, including export, but also the prospects for these two major companies in the field of pork , “the ministry said.