August 26, 2018

EU pig meat production in May increased 3% year-on-year to 207 million tonnes, according to latest data from Eurostat, AHDB Pork reports.

The increase was attributed to a 2% increase in pig slaughterings (totalling 22.1 million head) compared with last year, combined with a slight rise in carcase weights (+1%) to average 93.4 kilogrammes.

Production in Germany, the largest pig producer in the EU, was down 7% (-33,000 tonnes) in May 2018 compared with a year earlier. However, production in the year to May remained unchanged at 2.3 million tonnes.

Spain and Denmark showed strong growth during the first five months of the year, increasing production by 158,000 tonnes (+9%) and 94,000 tonnes (+15%), respectively. Poland also continued to increase production levels, up 80,000 tonnes (+10%) in January-May and up 7% (+11,000 tonnes) in May. African swine fever remains a threat to pork production in Poland, the pork division of the UK levy body Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board said. 

The EU's average pig price has been up and down this year, peaking in March, then declining in the subsequent months as a result of additional production throughout Europe.