CANADA IS CURRENTLY in the grip of what is known as the Bacopalypse.
Prices have sky-rocketed over the past couple of months, with the most recent consumer price index (CPI) revealing a 5.8% month-on-month increase, and 26% year-over-year.
That’s slightly down from the 9.3% increase recorded in May.
This is seemingly down to a virus, as Elena Holodny at Business Insider reports:
Bacon prices have been significantly increasing because of supply issues. In June, there was a breakout of a pig virus which led to the killing of millions of baby pigs.
This porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has hit herds badly.
However, in Ireland, we’re currently okay.
Pat O’Flaherty, chair of the Irish Farmers Association’s pigs committee, told TheJournal.ie that PEDV hasn’t made its way to our shores yet, but that farmers must remain vigilant.
“We believe Ireland is the healthiest country in terms of pigs, mainly because we’re an island nation,” he explained.
There are huge concerns about PEDV, mainly because it’s unclear how it spreads and whether it could reach Ireland through something like imported food, but Irish farmers are very strict on biosecurity.
Consumer Price Index figures for Pork from Canada also show a sharp increase, but here in Ireland, the price has dropped every so slightly in the same period (our own CSO dropped bacon from the CPI some years ago, so a direct comparison to bacon isn’t possible).
O’Flaherty noted that we have a relatively stable market in terms of the price of pork in shops, but that it can vary “week to week, or even day to day” for farmers.
“This is sometimes the gripe of the producers. We’re wondering why we take the hit when prices in the shop can remain stable.”
So there’s no need to stockpile rashers, there’s no need to run out and start hoarding pigs – Ireland’s pork is safe for now.
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