News Pigs
Pig slaughter weights rise to record high
The market's rumours that pigs will be extremely heavy at the start of 2025 are confirmed by the slaughter weights. These increase significantly in a short period of time and also set a new record. Over the whole of 2024, the Dutch slaughter figure shows a decrease, while the German slaughter figure is actually recovering.
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Data from RVO shows that the slaughter weight in week 2 has risen to a record of 103,90 kilos. The previous record is thus surpassed by 1 kilo. Traders indicate that the weights of individual pigs sometimes even exceed 110 kilos. The slaughter lines even seem to have difficulty with it, it is indicated.
A rapid increase in slaughter weight after the holidays is common, but this year the increase is very significant. Compared to the average slaughter weight in week 50, an increase of no less than 6 kilos is visible. This is more than double that of previous years, when the increase was usually limited to around 3 kilos. Another remarkable fact is that the slaughter rate in the Netherlands is low at the beginning of 2025. With 294.477 slaughters in week 2, the Dutch slaughter figure remained below the 2017 pig threshold for the first time since 300.000.
In Germany, there is also talk about slaughter weights, but here the situation is less extreme with an average slaughter weight of 101,85 kilos in week 2. However, German slaughterhouses also maintain a slow pace with 655.700 pigs in week 2.
Heel 2024
Over the whole of 2024, the Dutch slaughter figure amounted to 14.173.439 pigs, which is a decrease of 3,92%. The supply was considerably tighter, especially in the third quarter. In Germany, a slight increase in the slaughter figure is visible again after years of decline. With 37.356.925 pigs in the whole of 2024, the slaughter figure increased by 0,72% compared to 2023.