September 17, 2010

EU faces mass pig farm exodus

A large number of EU farmers are abandoning the pork sector due to onerous animal welfare requirements and years of low if non-existent profits.

Inefficient farms have already closed due to the fall in demand for pork during the global economic crisis. Demand has not fully recovered, EU pork exporters face growing competition from Brazil and Thailand, and changes in Russian import duties could slash EU live pig exports.

New limits on animal accommodation and ammonia emissions, and extra costs for castrating pigs, are the latest factors expected to depress the EU pig herd to its lowest point in at least a decade.

A particularly high rate of pig farms closures is expected in France, but modernisation drives have been implemented in other leading pig producing countries, such as Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.

EU pig numbers of 150.7 million are predicted by the end of next year, down by nearly 11 million in five years.