As well as firmer gammon prices, there are signs that the bacon market is seeing a sustained recovery. "The market is getting tight in the UK," said one trader, "and it may hit a peak soon. But even though there are more pigs coming through from Denmark, the recovery of their exports to Japan is keeping backs tight." There are still not enough British pork backs for curers to work with: the lower UK kill rates and demand for fresh pork loins continue to frustrate British curers. With the kill around 245,000 a week, cumulative slaughter figures for the year are substantially down on the previous year ­ albeit an unsustainably high one. More worryingly, according to the MLC, bacon usage for the first quarter is down 8% year on year in catering. Twice as much bacon as pork is sold through catering. TNS figures, however, show that retail sales of bacon ­ mostly rasherd ­ have risen 3% year on year. As the market tightens, slicers would welcome a corresponding recovery in the prices they earn. {{PROVISIONS }}

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