May 7, 2009

Denmark piglet exports to Germany reached the highest level ever in March and April this year, with 52 full trucks departing daily for the southern border.

In March, 624,000 live piglets were exported and according to Peter Skov Madsen, director of SPF-Selskabet, the figures for April are expected to be similar. The SPF-Selskabet company is responsible for around 20 percent of Danish piglet exports.

Madsen said demand from German farmers is still quite high, adding that around 30,000 piglets are exported per week.

Market analyst Karsten Flemin from abattoir organisation Danske Slagterier said the latest prognosis shows the number of animals being slaughtered in Denmark this year dropping from 21.1 million to 19.6 million.

The increased export of live pigs has placed Danish Crown under increasing pressure over the last few years.

Danish Crown has closed ten factories in the last few years, including many slaughterhouses as a result of fewer Danish pigs being available.