The lively demand for pork in China, in Ireland, "catapulted" the price of pork heads and ears.

Butchers in the west of the country say that pork ears, which until recently could be bought for a few cents, now cost about 5 euros per pair. For this money, in February-March it was possible to buy a new-born bull Jersey.

With pig heads the same story. Although at the beginning of the year they could be bought for 2 or 3 euros, now they have “skyrocketed” to 10 euros (11.36 US dollars). And then, if you can find and buy them.

“Nowadays, slaughter at slaughterhouses is very small, so it’s difficult to get pork heads and ears, especially if you need only a small amount of them,” one meat wholesaler explained and added that meat processing plants are not interested in the small sale of pork heads, at that time how trade in China is extremely strong.

The impact of the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in China has changed global markets and, as a result, prices at Irish factories this week reached € 1.85 ($ 2.10) per kilogram, compared to € 1.40 (1, 59 US dollars) per kilogram in April.

This corresponds to a price increase of about 40 euros (45.53 US dollars) for a pork carcass weighing 85 kilograms.