According to German pig producers' organisation ISN, the European mature pigs market appears quite steady at the beginning of the second week of January. Overall, prices are moving sideways on "decisive influence exerted by the German leading quotation… with an unchanged price level for the European pig market."

As the market returns to speed after the holiday lull, some countries have a deficit in pig meat. ISN analysts said "The trend is said to be steady to firm. Food retailing fills their shelves again, and the processing industry is also buying ahead again."

Analysts continued, "The aftermath of the Christmas holidays with the related backlog supply is slowly subsiding. Until the middle of the week, the last remaining backlog supply should be sold. From today’s point of view the price level will remain unchanged next week most probably."

In the UK, the National Pig Association has urged buyers to verify their meat is sourced from suppliers compliant with new welfare legislation. The partial ban on sow stalls came into effect across the EU on 1st January, but 14 member states remain in violation of new legislation. France is reporting only 33 percent compliance with the directive.

Welfare groups and pig bodies from compliant states have been highly critical of the EU's response to widespread non-compliance, and of the attitude of member states who remain in violation of new welfare legislation, despite having had eleven years to prepare for the January deadline.