News Pigs
Fewer pigs slaughtered in 2023, but more exports
The shrinking pig herd in our country also has an effect on slaughter figures. Since 2016, more than 15 million pigs have been slaughtered annually in the Netherlands, but those numbers are no longer being achieved. Remarkably, the export of live fattening pigs did increase.
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In 2023, 14.175.069 pigs were slaughtered. This is a decrease of 943.829 pigs compared to 2022. In percentages, this amounts to a decrease of about 6%. The slaughter rate for bitches has fallen to the lowest level since 2014.
Until 2020, our country structurally had 12 million pigs in the Netherlands, but recent years have been characterized by shrinkage. In September it emerged that the number of pigs in the Netherlands had fallen past the 11 million mark to the lowest level in almost forty years. Lower animal numbers automatically mean less traffic on the slaughter line.
Live export
Remarkably, the export of live fattening pigs is not suffering from the shrinking numbers. A total of 2023 pigs were exported in 901.471, compared to 817.960 pigs in 2022. More pigs are mainly going to Germany, where slaughter numbers are also under pressure.