Romania’s pig farming sector is facing in 2026 the most severe crisis in recent years. According to data published by the European Union Pig Meat Market Observatory, in the first quarter of 2026, the average price of slaughtered pigs in Romania fell by 17.8% compared to the same period in 2025 and stands 11.4% below the European Union average — the second lowest price in Europe. At farm gate level, the price of live pigs has dropped to 5–5.5 lei per kilogram, while the actual production cost exceeds 6.5 lei per kilogram. Farmers are, in practice, selling below production cost.

The structural imbalance of the market is as concerning as the price itself. The authorized commercial sector produces approximately 3.3 million pigs annually, while national consumption exceeds the equivalent of 7 million head. The gap is covered by massive imports, whose value has already exceeded one billion euros per year, according to APCPR. The crisis is further aggravated by unfair competition from the unauthorized market: the sale of pigs through social media networks and online platforms by non-taxed individuals reached 604,000 head in 2025 — 330,000 more than in 2024, according to provisional data from INS — directly affecting farms that comply with strict biosecurity and food safety standards.

The paradox is striking: over 70% of consumers in Romania prefer Romanian pork, but they do not recognize it on store shelves and, in many cases, cannot find it there, according to a study conducted for APCPR in 2025. The information campaign launched by the association, titled “Well-raised Romanian pig”, aims to build a direct communication channel between farmers and consumers — but without a legislative framework that enforces clear labeling of meat origin at retail level, the impact remains limited.

APCPR has requested from the authorities an emergency package: financial support to cover losses, mechanisms to correct imbalances in the relationship with retail, uniform enforcement of biosecurity standards, and the reopening of export markets blocked by the persistent presence of African swine fever outbreaks. The association’s message is clear: without rapid intervention, Romania risks permanently losing a key sector of its agri-food economy — and once closed, commercial farms are not easily restarted.

(Photo: Magnific)