The UK’s feminine breeding herd contracted additional within the yr to June 2024, Defra’s newest UK livestock census figures present.
As of June 1, the variety of pigs within the UK elevated slighly, by 0.7%, on 2023 numbers to 4.7 million head, 32,600 extra pigs, pushed by a 0.9% rise within the variety of fattening pigs to 4.3 million, nonetheless effectively beneath the 10-year common.
Nevertheless, the whole variety of breeding pigs was down by 1.7% to 421,000 head. The feminine breeding herd fell by 3.1%, 11,000, to 327,000 head, with in-pig gilts down 11%, greater than 5,000, to 42,600 head.
In-pig sow numbers have been extra secure, dropping by 0.8% to 236,200 head, a discount of two,000, whereas dry or suckling sow numbers have been down 6.5% to 48,500 head, a lack of 3,300.
On the constructive entrance, nonetheless, there was a major 4.6% improve in gilts meant for first time breeding to 83,700 head, a rise of three,700 head, suggesting herd numbers would possibly begin to choose up.
Boars getting used for service additionally fell for the third yr in a row, down 3.8% to 9,500 head.
Breaking the numbers down by nation:
- England noticed a 1% drop in its breeding herd to 326,000 head, alongside a 1.5% rise in fattening pig numbers to three.4 million.
- Northern Eire’s breeding herd dropped again fractionally to 636,000, whereas fattening pig numbers have been up 1.6% to 636,000.
- Scotland noticed 9.8% discount in its breeding herd to 36,000 head, alongside an 8% drop in fattening numbers to 279,000 head.
- Wales’ breeding herd was down 7.6% to 2,000 head, with fattening pigs up 14.3% to 26,000 head.
General, England accounts for 78% of the UK’s complete pig inhabitants with Northern Eire holding a 15% share and Scotland holding 7%. Wales accounts for lower than 1% of the UK pig inhabitants. During the last 5 years, these splits have stayed comparatively secure, with Northern Eire gaining a 2% share and England easing 2%, AHDB analyst Freya Shuttleworth stated.
She additionally identified that Defra’s June census figures are primarily based on a pattern survey, so the info is topic to a level of sampling error, similar to non-response bias.
UK slaughter figures
Helped by improved productiveness, Defra month-to-month slaughter figures present UK throughputs have been 2% up yr on yr over the primary three quarters of 2024 at 7.63m head, nonetheless effectively beneath the five-year common, serving to to drive pigmeat manufacturing up by 3.4% to 711,000 tonnes.
Slaughterings have been considerably up yr on yr in October, however dropped again in November, in keeping with Defra’s figures.
