April 19, 2016

UK pig meat production up 5% in March

UK pig meat production continued its upward trend as output in March increased by around 5% from the same month last year to 79,800 tonnes, AHDB Pork reported, citing figures from Defra (UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs). 

The pork division of the UK's Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board attributed the increase to a combination of factors including a 3% rise in clean pig slaughterings. "This is in line with expectations, given the slight increase in the breeding herd during 2015 and further productivity gains".

Besides the larger number of clean pigs processed, they were heavier than in March 2015. The average carcase weight of 83.1 kilogramme was over a kilo higher than a year before, although lower than the two previous months. The difficult financial situation of producers also meant that sow slaughterings remained inflated, AHDB observed.