Inside Pigs
More pigs slaughtered in September
More pigs were slaughtered in the European Union in September than in the same month last year, according to the latest figures from Eurostat. In addition, the pigs were heavier in this month than last year.
Read this article?
Become a subscriber and get instant access
Choose the subscription that suits you
The number of slaughters in September increased by 1,3% to 20,9 million pigs compared to last year. The fact that September this year had an extra working day probably contributed to this. Pork production this year was also higher than last year in September: +2% to 1,91 million tons. This shows that the pigs are heavier this year than last year. In the Netherlands the slaughter weight was introduced last week still out at 99 kilos.
High pig prices
Production in the EU-28 stands at 17,6 million tonnes until September, which is around 1% less than last year. “The fact that less pork has been produced this year than last year, and the fact that export demand has been very good for weeks, has pushed pig prices in Europe to record highs,” said Duncan Wyatt, a senior analyst at AHDB Pork . The fact that supply is now increasing slightly again means that prices are now rising stable to note.
The largest increase in production in September can be attributed to Spain. That country produces 14.000 tons more than in the same month last year. In France, an additional 12.000 tons were produced and in the United Kingdom this increase in production amounts to 5.500 tons.