September 5, 2022

Germany sees 10.1% drop in pork production  in first half of 2022

Germany's pork production in the first half of 2022 was 2.3 million tonnes, down 10.1% compared to the same period in 2021.

According to preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), Germany's slaughterhouses produced almost 3.5 million tonnes of meat in the first half of 2022, down 7.9% compared to the same period last year. A total of 25.8 million head of pigs, cattle, sheep, goats and horses and 353.2 million chickens, turkeys, and ducks were slaughtered.

For swine production, 23.8 million pigs were slaughtered in the first six months of 2022, representing a decrease of 2.3 million animals slaughtered (8.9%) compared to the previous year. The amount of pork produced in the first half of 2022 was 2.3 million tonnes. The average slaughter weight also decreased by just over one kilogramme to 96.31 kg.

One of the reasons for the reduction in pork production is the corresponding drop in the German pig inventory.

For years, pork has accounted for the largest share of meat production in Germany.

In the first half of 2022, almost two-thirds (64.3%) of the meat produced was pork, followed by poultry (21.9%) and beef (13.5%).

- Destatis (Germany)