UK pigmeat production was more than 5% higher in February than a year ago, driven by a combination of higher throughputs and soaring caecase weights.
Defra’s latest update shows UK clean pig slaughterings were up 2.3% on February 2025 at 844,000 head, while carcase weights averaged 94.3kg, more than 2kg up year on year. This resulted in total pigmeat production of 82,000 tonnes, 5.2% higher than in February 2025.
The average weekly UK slaughter figure of 211,000 head compared with 205,000 head in February 2025 and 197,000 in both December and January, confirming a welcome uptick in throughputs, amid ongoing concerns over surplus supplies and pigs being regularly rolled and backing up on farms.
Sow and boar slaughterings were up 8.9% year on year to 17,000 head – there have been anecdotal reports that farmers have been reducing breeding herds in response to the current market downturn.
Breaking the UK slaughter figures down, 675,000 head were slaughtered in England and Wales, 14,000 head were slaughtered in Scotland and 155,000 head in Northern Ireland.