European slaughter figure remains constant in first half of 2024

After the significant decrease last year, the number of slaughters in the first half of 2024 remains more or less constant compared to a year ago. In 2023, the slaughter figure decreased by 8,6%, from 119,8 million to 109,4 million slaughters. This year there is a negligible increase.

Meanwhile, higher slaughter weights led to a slight increase in meat production. Due to relatively high piglet prices in the first half of 2024, pig farmers opted to sell their pigs at relatively high slaughter weights. Compared to the first six months of 2022, meat production decreased by 9,2%, from 11,3 million to 10,3 million tonnes. However, in the same period of 2024, production increased by 1,5%, from 10,3 million to 10,5 million tonnes.

The Netherlands follows European pattern
The slaughter figure has also stabilised in the Netherlands. In the first half of 2024, the slaughter figure remained more or less the same. The increase in slaughter weight, at 1,2%, also does not deviate significantly from the European average. This is despite the fact that in the Netherlands the number of slaughters and total production fell considerably faster last year than the average in the European Union. In the first half of 2022, 8,5 million pigs were slaughtered. In 2023, the slaughter figure fell to 7,3 million pigs, a decrease of 13,6%. Total production in the first half of 2024 amounted to 743.000 tonnes. In the same period in 2023, production fell by another 14%.

The picture in Germany for 2023 is more or less the same. The slaughter figure for the first six months of 2024 remains more or less the same as the same period a year earlier, with a slaughter figure of 21,86 million pigs. On the other hand, Germany is less able to benefit from higher slaughter weights. Meat production in our eastern neighbours was also remarkably almost the same as the year before, at roughly 2,1 million tonnes.

Spain sees slaughter rate decline
Just like last year, it is not Germany but Spain that takes the position of largest producer. In total, 26,2 million pigs were slaughtered in the southern European country. That is a remarkable decrease of 1,7% compared to 2023. Meat production in the country fell by around 2024% in the first half of 1. There is also a slight decline in France. Although the decrease of less than 0,5% is far from significant. In total, the slaughter figure amounted to 10,9 million pigs. Meat production increased by an equally insignificant amount to over 1 million tonnes.

The Italian slaughter figure was also remarkably constant. Rounded off, the slaughter figure remains at 5,1 million pigs. Total meat production increased by 2024% in the first half of 1,9 to roughly 629.000 tonnes. A remarkably sharp increase can also be seen in our southern neighbours. In Belgium, the number of slaughters increased by 1,3% to 4,7 million tonnes. Meat production in our eastern neighbours even increased by 3% to 476.000 tonnes.

Poland
The strongest growth is visible in Poland. In the first half of 2024, the slaughter figure increased by 6,9% to 9,7 million slaughters. This means that the number of slaughters is approximately the same as in 2022. The slaughter figure in the first half of 2024 is only 0,2% lower than in the same period two years ago. Meat production has increased more strongly than the slaughter figure. Compared to the first half of 2023, production increased by 9,4% to 934.000 tonnes. In total, meat production was even 2,6% higher than in the first half of 2022.