Pig supply shrinks further due to stoppers

This is evident from the market statistics of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). Up to and including week 18 (Sunday 4 May), 2025 pigs were slaughtered in the Netherlands in 5.094.727. In addition, 186.659 animals ready for slaughter were exported abroad. The total supply of pigs for meat thus amounted to 5.281.386.

Significantly lower than in 2024
In the first 18 weeks of 2024, 5.222.463 pigs were slaughtered in the Netherlands and 332.217 fattening pigs were exported. The total pig supply over this period in 2024 therefore amounted to 5.554.680 heads. This means that the supply this year is 273.294 heads, or 4,9% lower than in the same period last year.

Stoppers still in operation
Although the decrease in the number of pigs slaughtered in the Netherlands still seems relatively small, a sharp decrease in the number of exported pigs is causing a considerable decrease in the total pig supply. The above shows that the decrease in the pig supply is still accelerating. In the period up to and including March, the pig supply fell by 4,2%. There are still pig farms that have registered for an Lbv scheme that are running empty. For the time being, the pig supply is therefore not stabilising.