Uncertainty continues to surround data on the number of pigs being slaughtered in the UK.
When Defra published its June UK slaughter figures for cattle, sheep and pigs in mid-July, it came with a caveat for the pigs data: “Pig slaughter numbers for April to June 2024 have been modified due to missing data. These figures are still provisional and remain subject to further revision.”
For clean pigs, this ‘provisional’ data showed clean pig slaughterings were down 3.2% year on year at 791,000 head. Weekly averages showed June slaughterings were around 5% down on April and May 2024. The Defra figures show June UK pigmeat production, at 73,000 tonnes, was 1.7% down year-on-year, boosted by higher carcase weights.
But these clearly need to be treated with caution. The UK slaughter figures, which, in turn, inform AHDB’s estimated GB slaughterings are important as they give an indication of where pig supplies are and can inform market decisions.
The uncertainty over the Defra figures forced AHDB to make major backdated upward revisions in AHDB’s GB weekly clean pig slaughterings for April, May and June.
Initially, no figure was published for the first week of July as AHDB queried and was subsequently made aware of what lead red meat analyst Tom Dracup described as ‘a significant error’ in the Defra clean pig slaughtering data set’.
AHDB has since resumed the publication estimated GB slaughterings, albeit with caveat that, ‘due to an ongoing query regarding the June 2024 Defra slaughterings, clean pig figures for June and July 2024 are still being weighted by the Defra May 2024 figure’.
The figure for the week ended July 6 was up by 9,600 on the previous week to 160,842 head, while the estimate for the week ended July 13 fell back to 146,812 head, just 2000 below the 2023 figure but 34,000 below the same week in 2022.
Lead red meat analyst Tom Dracup said the AHDB has been having ongoing correspondence with Defra and was beginning to get the necessary details/reassurances for the figures.
However, he said uncertainties remain with the June data and, as a result, estimated slaughterings for June and July have been weighted to May Defra data to provide an accurate estimation of numbers until outstanding queries regarding the June data have been fully resolved.
“Naturally, an element of caution would be wise until all outstanding queries are resolved, and the most recent months data is being utilised for weightings,” he said.