An overall decline in the EU breeding herd suggests that the growth in pig slaughterings should slow in the second half of this year, and into 2016, but without any “dramatic tightening of supplies” taking place, according to AHDB Pork.
Assessing the latest Eurostat figures, AHDB Pork, highlighted the “mixed trends” currently affecting the EU’s pig herds, with Belgium and Poland both recording 6% falls in their breeding herds at the same time as Spain reported a 2% rise in numbers.
“There is little suggestion of any expansion of the EU breeding herd in the short-term, however, given that both in-pig and maiden gilt numbers (overall) were down, by 3% and 2% respectively,” said AHDB Pork. “These relatively small falls don’t indicate a sharp fall in the breeding herd either.”
That left the organisation to conclude that while the growth in pig slaughterings should slow over the next few months, it’s not going to bring about a “dramatic tightening of supplies”.