May 18, 2018

Pig population in Denmark grows 4%

The number of pigs in Denmark in the first quarter increased 4% to 12.7 million head from year-earlier levels, although it was down 1% compared with the previous quarter.

Over the past year the number of pigs in Denmark, which is a key supplier of pig meat to the UK, has been growing, with the total number of sows currently in the breeding herd increasing 3% year-on-year to 1.3 million head, AHDB Pork reports. Compared with the previous quarter, the total number of breeding sows increased 1%.

Reflecting the growth in breeding sows, the number of piglets in the first three months was up 6% year-on-year and 2% from the previous three-month period, to 5.8 million.

The first-quarter increase was recorded across all sow categories, with the number of maiden and in-pig gilts up 5% each while the number of in-pig sows increased 2%. The strong prices in 2017 may have encouraged producers to expand their herds, the pork division of the UK levy body Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board said.