The supply of pigs ready for slaughter in the Netherlands is currently rapidly dwindling. After becoming increasingly noticeable in 2025, the decline now appears to be becoming structurally visible on the slaughter line.
Last week, 262.635 pigs were slaughtered in the Netherlands. That's 26.433 fewer than the previous week, a decrease of almost 10%. The last time so few pigs were slaughtered in an entire slaughter week was in mid-August.
Low slaughter weights
The average slaughter weight also fell sharply again. This time by 0,8 kilos to 98,1 kilos, well below the long-term average. In previous years, weights during this period were still well above 100 kilos. December count of Statistics Netherlands It turned out that at the end of 2025 the Netherlands still had a relatively large number of heavy pigs over 120 kilos, but they now seem to have disappeared from the market.
The 80 to 110 kg pig category already recorded a 4,5% decline at the end of last year, to 1,298 million animals. The 50 to 80 kg category also shrank significantly, by as much as 6%. This means that Dutch slaughterhouses will have less supply to draw from in the coming months. Given the low weights – and the seasonal decline still looming – the slaughter figure is likely to drop below 250.000 in the coming weeks. And at these numbers, capacity utilization at slaughterhouses is starting to become strained.
The stop scheme works
The effects of the phasing-out scheme were already visible last year, but are only now truly becoming visible on the slaughter line. Moreover, the export of live pigs to Germany offers little relief from the decline. Only 6.000 to 7.000 animals cross the border each week. A few shipments are still sent to Belgium, Spain, and Italy, but those numbers are marginal.
If Dutch slaughterhouses want to keep the last remaining export pigs in their own country, the price paid will have to at least compete with Germany's. This is currently not the case.
European context determining
Due to the tightening Dutch supply, pig prices enjoy strong support domestically. However, the international context is crucial, as the Netherlands is not the center of the European pig market.
In countries like Denmark and Spain, slaughter rates are significantly higher. In Germany, too, significantly more animals were slaughtered at the beginning of 2026 than a year earlier, with week-on-week increases of up to 7%.
Room for price increases
However, there are signs that the market has room to rise. The Belgian company Danis has raised its pork price for the second week in a row and is currently a trendsetter. The market is also recovering in Spain. Despite still-quiet meat sales, this could also lead to further price increases in the Netherlands and Germany in the coming weeks. The rapid rise in the online market is a sign that the market is clearly buoyant again.