The supply of pigs coming through the system remained a long way down on 2022 levels in July, according to the latest Defra slaughter statistics.
They show July UK clean pig slaughterings remained 15% below July 22 levels at 793,000 head, which was also below the June figure of 815,000, despite the extra day, and the May figure of 869,000. July pigmeat production, at 72,000 tonnes, was also 15% lower than in July 2022.
The average weekly slaughter figure for July, at 179,000 head compared with a July 2022 of 210,000 and was also below the May and June 2023 figures of 196,000 and 190,000 respectively.
The year-on-year deficit, the result of last year’s major contraction of the national breeding herd, actually grew in July – the gap of 15% on year earlier was up from the 11% year-on-year reduction in the June 23 figure.
Slaughterings remained below year earlier levels in the first two weeks of August, although AHDB’s estimated GB slaugherings, which are subject to revision, show numbers picked up slightly in the first two weeks of August, at just below 160,000 during both weeks, compared with around 153,000/week in July. The figure for the week ended August 12 remained 6,000 below 2022 levels and 13,000 below 2021, however.
The number of sows and boars slaughtered in July, at 18,000 head, was 16% on the July 2022 figure of 22,000 and below the May and June 2023 figures of 21,000 and 19,000.
Carcase weights have moved up slightly, averaging 89.19kg in the SPP sample in the week ended August 12, compared with around 89.5kg during much of July. Average weights are 1.4kg ahead of a year ago.