September 12, 2022
Decline in number of UK slaughterhouses that kill pigs last year
Latest figures show that just 87 slaughterhouses in the United Kingdom killed pigs in 2021, six lesser than in 2020 and 38 fewer than a decade ago, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
The number of specialists plants (where 95% of slaughtering involves pigs) also dropped, now standing at 11, down one from 2020 and five fewer than a decade ago. These specialist plants accounted for 77% of the total throughput in England in 2021.
Consolidation in the industry continues with the loss of smaller slaughterhouses. The 11 largest plants (those that slaughter over 100,000 head a year) accounted for 92% of total slaughter, the same proportion as the previous year.
The top eight abattoirs (those killing over 500,000 pigs a year) maintained an 83% share of kills in the UK.
- AHDB