July 10, 2024

France's pig slaughter rose 1.5% in May

The number of pigs slaughtered in France was slightly above May 2023 levels in May this year.

Despite a 1.5% year-on-year increase in the month, pig slaughter remained well below the average level for the 2019-2023 period (-4.0%). At an average of 95.5kg/carcass, carcass weight is sustained, exceeding last year's level by 0.9% and the five-year average by 1.8%.

On the other hand, French pork consumption rose by 4.4% year-on-year in April. It recovered by 3.5% compared with the average for the 2019-2023 period, after the first quarter of 2024 was down on the 2019-2023 average.

In May, the average price of French pork stood at €2.24/kg, 21.6% higher than the 2019-2023 average, supported by a still-receding pork supply. However, it remains 5.8% below the high price of 2023.

The balance of foreign trade in pork is in deficit in volume terms (-4.0 thousand tonnes carcass versus +1.7 thousand tonnes carcass in April 2023), as a result of a sharp increase in imports (+15.5%) and a limited rise in exports (+2.2%).

At the same time, the deficit widens in value terms: - €52.0 million (US$56.3 million) in 2024, versus - €31.5 million in 2023.

- Agreste-Info Rapides