UK pigmeat production was more than 5% up year on year in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, driven by higher slaughter numbers and soaring carcase weights.
The latest figures from Defra’s show UK clean pig slaughterings in March were up 7.9% on March 2025 at 925,000 head, with pigmeat production at 89,000 tonnes, 11% higher than in March 2025, on the back of higher carcase weights.
This means that across the first three months of the year, clean pig slaughter totalled 2.6m head, 2.3% higher than in Q1 2025, with pigmeat production totalling 256,800t, an increase of 5.3% year on year, further driven by higher carcase weights.
Average clean pig carcase weights reached 94.2 kg in Q1 2026, up 3 kg year on year. Although weights eased slightly in March (down 1.1 kg from the January peak), they remained 2.6 kg higher than a year earlier.
Over the past six months, weights have consistently remained above 92 kg, peaking at 94.7 kg in January, according to AHDB.
Notably, Q1 production exceeded Q4 2025 levels by 1,300 tonnes (+0.5%), despite the typically higher seasonal demand seen in the final quarter of the year.
UK pig meat production
Source: Defra
Regional data highlights a mixed picture for Q1. Slaughter in England and Wales increased by 4% (81,000 head) YoY, accounting for around 80% of the UK total. In contrast, Northern Ireland recorded a 3% decline (13,000 head), representing 18% of the total, while Scotland saw a sharper fall of 17% (10,000 head), contributing just 2% overall.
Meanwhile, UK sow and boar slaughter rose by 3.6% (1,800 head) in Q1 compared with the same period last year, reinforcing suggestions that producers are trimming herds in response to the downturn.
UK clean pig slaughter
Source: Defra
“As the industry moves further into 2026, there are few signs of a significant decline in carcase weights. Ongoing reports of processing backlogs and pigs being carried over week to week suggest that weights are unlikely to fall sharply in the near term,” AHDB said.
UK clean pig carcase weights
Source: Defra