GB pig production costs were steady in 2024, but were significantly higher than average costs seen across Europe, according to Interpig’s latest global data.
The figures, which provide an international comparison, show the average cost of pig production for indoor pigs in GB dropped slightly to £1.92/kg, slightly below the 2023 figure of £1.94/kg. The cost of outdoor production was slightly higher. Meanwhile, the average price of GB pigs dropped from £2.18/kg in 2023 to £2.10/kg in 2024
EU average production costs saw a much bigger fall, from £1.89/kg in 2023 to just to £1.69/kg last year.
Italy had the highest costs of production within the EU for the third consecutive years, at £2.04/kg. The EU average pig price dropped to £1.76/kg in 2024 from £1.98kg in 2023, according to AHDB senior economist Jess Corsair.
The UK figure, presented by InterPig in euros as €2.21/kg for indoor and €2.23/kg for outdoor, was the highest across pig producing nations featured, except Italy (€2.36/kg) and, unsurprisingly, Ukraine (€2.83/kg).
Denmark was just €1.76/kg, Spain €1.79/kg, the Netherlands €1.82/kg and Germany €2.01/kg. Highlighting the international differences, the figures calcluated for two different Brazilian regions were €1.07/kg and €1.39/kg and for the US, €1.63/kg.
Although there was a decline in pig prices in 2024, corresponding easing production costs meant there was not a significant impact on net margins, Ms Corsair added.
Feed costs make up, by a distance, the largest portion of production expenses at around 60% of costs. In the EU, feed prices fell from £1.15kg in 2023, to £0.98/kg in 2024. GB indoor feed prices dropped by 6% from £1.25/kg in 2023 to £1.18/kg in 2024. GB outdoor feed prices dropped by 9% from £1.28/kg in 2023 to £1.16 in 2024.
“During 2022 and 2023 there was a lot of change in markets and input costs with feed, fuel and energy prices rocketing as well as interest rates. This started to settle at the end of 2023 and over 2024 both energy and finance costs have levelled off and stayed consistent across most countries and therefore had less of an impact on producer costs compared to previous years,” Ms Corsair added.
UK herd performance
Pigs weaned per sow per year increased slightly for GB indoor pigs in 2024, up from 27.8 in 2023 to 28. There was a small decline in pigs weaned per sow per year for GB outdoor pigs by 2% to 24.6. The EU average for 2024 was 30.27 pigs weaned per sow, up from 30.12 in 2023.
Pigs finished per sow per year grew for indoor pigs in GB up 1% from 2023 to 26.8 pigs finished. Outdoor pigs declined slightly from 24 pigs finished per sow per year in 2023 to 23.6 in 2024. The EU saw a slight increase from 2023 up to 29.22 pigs finished per year for 2024, Ms Corsair added.