News Pigs
Higher number of pigs for meat masks shrinking British sector
After a significant decline last year, the British pig herd increased slightly in the first half of the year, according to data from the British Agricultural Organisation (AHDB). However, given the declining sow herd, there seems to be no structural recovery, as the sow herd is still shrinking. Meanwhile, imports from the European Union are falling slightly, partly due to lower pork consumption.
A recent census showed that the UK pig population has increased slightly after a significant decline last year. In the first half of 2024, the number of pigs increased by 1,3% to 3,68 million pigs. This growth is being driven by an increase in the number of finishing pigs. The total number of finishing pigs increased by 1,5%, or 51.000 pigs, to a total of 3,35 million finishing pigs. However, the pig population is still significantly below the peak level in 2021. Compared to that year, the UK has 600.000 fewer pigs.
This seems to have halted the decline for the time being. However, a shrinking sow herd indicates that the structural decline of the British pig sector has not yet been reversed. The latest British livestock census shows that the sow herd is at its lowest level since this data has been recorded. In total, the sow herd decreased by 2,2% to 251.000 pigs. For the time being, the situation does not seem to be improving either. The number of young sows that are not yet able to farrow also decreased by 5,3%. According to the AHDB, the fact that the number of fattening pigs was able to increase despite the smaller sow herd is due to a decrease in piglet mortality.
European imports not increasing
For the European sector, the decline in the British livestock population is not bad news. The United Kingdom imports a significant portion of its pigmeat from the European Union, and this dependency will continue for the time being. Although the increase in the number of slaughters in the first half of the year has caused a slight decline in imports. In the first six months of 2024, the UK imported 427.000 tonnes of pork, compared to 431.000 tonnes the previous year.
There is a significant decline, especially in the long term. Until 2018, the United Kingdom regularly imported around 500.000 tonnes in the first six months of the year. In 2023, exports were just under 84.500 tonnes. This is mainly due to the declining popularity of pork. Pork consumption has been declining in recent years and this trend has not yet been reversed. The AHDB pork monitor shows that British demand was 1,9% lower at the beginning of August than the previous year. This is largely due to a significant increase in consumer prices. The monitor shows that the consumer price of pork has increased by no less than 6,4% compared to the previous year.
Dutch exports fall the most
In relative terms, Dutch pig exports to the United Kingdom fell the most. In the first half of 2024, the Netherlands exported more than 77.000 tonnes, a decrease of 8,9%. In 2023, exports were just under 84.500 tonnes. The largest exporter to the United Kingdom remains Spain, according to data from the European Union's data portal Eurostat. In total, the southern European country exported 171.000 tonnes of pig meat to the United Kingdom. That is a decrease of 5,5% compared to the first six months of the previous year. Total exports that year amounted to 181.000 tonnes.
Remarkably, despite the tight market, exports from Germany are falling much less sharply. In the first half of 2024, imports fell from around 63.500 tonnes in 2023 to 61.500 tonnes in 2024. That is a decrease of 3,3%. Danish exports are shrinking the least in comparison. In 2024, the country exported roughly 72.000 tonnes. The year before, Denmark exported 74.000 tonnes of pork to the United Kingdom. That is a decrease of 2,7%.
Matthew Bremer
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