In Germany, there was a decrease in the number of pigs by 3%

According to the latest official data, Germany is constantly reducing the number of pigs. In May, the number of pigs on German farms decreased by 3% compared to last year's preliminary census, amounting to 24.6 million pigs. This is the lowest level recorded in the last 10 years.

The sharpest decline was observed in breeding sows and piglets - 11% and 8% respectively. “The decrease in the breeding herd is not unexpected, given that the industry is facing restrictions related to African swine fever (ASF). Ultimately, this should cut German pork supplies at the end of the year,” commented Bethan Wilkins, senior analyst at AHDB.

Pig slaughter in Germany has already fallen by almost 6% this year. So far, this trend has been particularly affected by the decline in imports of live pigs. Despite the decline in slaughter, the latest market reports continue to indicate that demand remains stable.  

And this fact will be taken into account when preparing the monthly analytical report Meatinfo.ru

“The effect of the reduction in the breeding herd has led to a reduction in the number of young pigs and piglets by 4% and almost 8%, respectively. When the study was done, the number of slaughtered pigs was still the same as last year. As such, we expect a further decline in German pork production levels in the second half of the year as fewer domestic pigs are available for slaughter,” added Ms Wilkins.