Average course for slaughter figures in August

The month of August runs roughly from week 32 to week 35. During this period the slaughter figures were almost average. Yet week 32 and week 35 are a small outlier, with the last week even surpassing 2019. As in previous weeks, the pigs remain heavy with relatively average meat percentages.

Slaughter figures
Week 32, with 284.914 slaughters of almost 10.000 animals, slightly exceeds the 5-year average. In the following week this is almost the same with a difference of just under 2000 animals, in which week 33 with 275.884 is slightly less than the average. Even compared to 2019 (283.000), there is no big gap in week 33.

In week 34, 287.950 pigs were slaughtered in Dutch slaughterhouses, only 1000 fewer than the average. In 2019, almost 10.000 more pigs were slaughtered in the same week. August ends with a small plus compared to the previous year and the 5-year average: A total of 301.656 pigs were slaughtered, just over 4000 more than in 2019 and about 9000 more than the average. So no notable outliers or setbacks for August.

Weights and percentages
The same applies to the weights and meat percentages of the pigs for slaughter. The weights are still very high compared to the 5-year average and 2019. Week 32 had the heaviest pigs with an average weight of 99,7 kilos. There is then a small setback in week 33, after which the weights increase again.

There are some fluctuations in the meat percentages, but these are fairly minimal in percentage terms. Weeks 33 and 34 both record a rate of 59,3%, meeting the 5-year average. An equal percentage is also recorded for weeks 32 and 35, but it is only slightly lower at 59,1%, which again takes some distance from the average.

Outlook
The past year was marked by greater fluctuations than we are used to from pig slaughter. This is largely shaped by the corona crisis and the meat demand from China. Now that the market is picking up again, there seems to be some calm on the pig market. The pig slaughter figures are stabilizing (for now), Van Rooi Meat and Westfort, among others, have cautiously increased their prices and both countries have regained their China recognition.

It remains to be seen how the corona crisis will develop, as is the case with many topics. But it seems now that the pig market is going in the right direction. There are still a number of slaughterhouses, both in the Netherlands and Germany, for example, that have kept prices stable, and may follow suit with a small increase. This partly depends on developments in Germany, as the market there is somewhat difficult. As long as the Chinese meat ban does not occur again and the coronavirus does not aggressively reemerge, the prospects appear positive.