UK pork production was boosted by high carcase weights in October, according to AHDB analyst Charlie Reeve.
UK clean pig throughput increased in October on the previous month, with total slaughter reaching 980,700 head. This was down by 21,500 head compared to last year, although this is likely due to October 2019 containing an extra weekday, thereby increasing killing capacity.
Cumulative clean pig slaughter numbers for the first ten months of 2020 now total 9,065,000 head, an increase of 72,300 head on the same period in 2019.
“Clean pig carcase weights averaged 88.3kg, an increase of 1.2kg on the previous month and 2.7kg on the October 2019, “Mr Reeve commented. “This is the first time on record that that monthly average clean pig weights have broken the 88kg barrier. An increase in the upper weight limits in many contracts is one of the factors behind this overall increase in the carcase weights of pigs coming forward.”
He added that overall pig meat production during October reached 89,900 tonnes, an increase of 7,400 tonnes on September’s volumes, and that production is also marginally up on the same month last year by 1,000 tonnes.
