Inside Pigs
Danish pig herd in April highest in 14 years
Danish pig farmers kept considerably more pigs on 1 April this year than a year earlier. There was growth in both the number of sows and fattening pigs. How strong was the growth exactly?
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The Danish agricultural umbrella body (L&F) reports the size of the Danish pig herd on a quarterly basis. The total Danish pig herd numbered around 1 million animals on April 2021, 13,15. That was almost 400.000 (3,1%) more than a year earlier. The pig herd was last this large in April during the 2007 census.
The number of fattening pigs is skyrocketing
The number of fattening pigs increased most strongly in Denmark. Due to the decreased piglet and fattening pig exports, there were considerably more fattening pigs on Danish farms. The number increased by 8,3% to 3,13 million units.
Although the increase was not as strong as in the number of fattening pigs, the sow herd also experienced growth. 14.000 more sows were kept than on April 1, 2020. This represents a growth of 1,1% and brings the size of the Danish sow herd to a total of 1.270.000. In particular, more breeding gilts were counted. That number increased by 4,1% to around 228.000 and is a possible indication of a further expansion of the Danish pig herd in the future.
Higher slaughter figures
The growth of the pig herd also translates into higher Danish slaughter figures. In the first quarter, 4,87 million pigs were hanging on Danish slaughter hooks. This was 397.000 (8,9%) more than in the first quarter of 2020. Danish slaughterhouses are thus continuing the trend started in 2020. Danish pig slaughterers benefit from the high Chinese demand for pork and therefore want to make the best possible use of slaughter capacity to meet all demands.
In addition to the increased pig herd, the decreased export of piglets and fattening pigs in the first quarter also caused the higher slaughter figures. Exports of pigs for slaughter fell by 1,6% to 3,78 million head. Piglet exports fell by 6,2% to 3,47 million piglets.
This is mainly due to the outbreak of African swine fever in Germany. German slaughterhouses lost export licenses and demanded fewer Danish pigs for slaughter. In response to the deteriorated prospects on the German meat market, German pig farmers subsequently also demanded fewer Danish piglets.