November UK clean pig slaughterings were down 1.4% on November 2024 at 867,000 head, but pigmeat production, 83,000 tonnes, 1.2% higher year on year due to higher carcase weights.
The Defra figures show November clean pig slaughterings were down on both September, 871,000 head and October, 947,000 head. Taking the weekly average, the November figure of just over 200,000 head/week was in line with September but well down on October, possibly partly reflecting factory shutdowns experienced during the month.
The November figures showed 676,000 clean pig slaughterings in England and Wales, 19,000 in Scotland and 176,000 in Northern Ireland.
Carcase weighst averaged 92.5kg in November, compared with 90.7kg in September and 92.5kg in October, and well above the November 2024 levels, pushing pigmeat production higher year on year, despite lower slaughterings.
This year is set see record average carcase weights, AHDB pork sector director Mark Haighton told the NPA’s Pig Industry Group last week. The average in the year to date of 91.17kg, compares with 90.64kg in 2024, while the November figure in the SPP sample of 93.12kg comares with 90.86lg in November 2024.
The higher weights reflect an autumn growth spurt after the summer dip, factory issues and a virtually non-existent pre-Christmas pull forward this year, which has seen pigs backed up on farms. In turn, this does not auger well for the traditional New Year lull when the sector generally tries to manage supplies to reflect lower demand.