Prices have finally risen, after weeks of stagnation that seemed at odds with scarce quantities on offer. After blaming poor weather and slaughter companies for the pressure on prices, German industry group ISN said on Tuesday that rises had "cut a Gordian knot" in the European market.

The producers' group said "Germany stagnating in particular had a paralysing effect on the other quotations" over the past few weeks. On Wednesday, German prices sent a decisive signal, rising 8 cents to €1.63/kg (£1.32), which propelled Germany into second place behind Spain in the ranking of the EU's five major pig-keeping countries.

In response, the Dutch, Belgian, Austrian and Danish quotations also went up by a corrected 2.7 to 7.4 cents. The Spanish as well were able to quote slightly higher, having suffered weeks of stagnation.

In the UK, prices recovered from last week's slump, rising three cents to €1.99 (£1.61). In France, however, producers could not reverse a downward price trend ongoing for at least five weeks, which followed sharp and unexpected price rises in the country. ISN suggested that rises elsewhere helped soften the blow for the French, as the price cut (1.8 cents) was less severe that previous weeks' reductions.

ISN forecast that prices would remain at least unchanged in the immediate term.