Belgium's pig industry shrinks in 2010

The number of farms with pigs in Belgium has shrunk by 4.6% compared with last year, according to government data.

A provisional count showed the country has 5,879 farms, of which 5,125 were in Flanders, the northern part of the country - which mostly consists of flat countryside.

The total number of pigs, however, grew slightly by 1.2% to almost 6.4 million animals. The majority of this number, more than six million, can also be found in Flanders. The greatest growth was seen in finishing pigs.