The English pig herd declined through 10% closing 12 months, whilst breeding herd stabilised however confirmed a being concerned drop in younger pig numbers, Defra’s December census for England displays.
The entire collection of pigs in England fell to three.3 million in December 2023, representing a lack of just about 400,000 pigs. The ten% year-on-year decline used to be pushed through an 11% fall within the collection of fattening pigs which account for 91% of all pigs, to simply over 3m.
The total English pig breeding herd used to be 1% down on December 2022 at 300,800. The feminine breeding herd, which accounts for 79% of breeding pigs, noticed a small building up of 0.7% from 237,000 in December 2022 to 239,000 in December 2023. This adopted a dramatic 20% contraction in 2022, on account of the pig disaster, which adopted a 7% contraction on 2021.
This building up used to be pushed through a three.5% upward thrust within the collection of sows in pig to 175,500 and a nil.7% upward thrust within the collection of ‘different sows’ to 38,400.
On the other hand, this offset a 16% fall within the collection of gilts in pig, in comparison to December 2022. The census additionally confirmed a 7% year-on-year decline within the collection of gilts now not but in pig to 54,200.
The collection of boars for provider used to be 8.7% decrease at just below 8,000.
The December census totals have a tendency to be less than the June populations and that used to be once more the case. The total pig herd used to be an additional 8.5% down at the June the census determine for England of three.6m. The total breeding herd used to be 8.6% decrease and the feminine breeding herd determine 7.1% down on June, whilst gilts in pig had been 21% decrease and gilts now not in pig 15% decrease.
The census figures for gilts might additional hose down expectancies for the velocity of restoration within the English pig herd. Wholesome will increase within the collection of gilts in pig and now not but in pig within the June survey had been noticed as indicators of tentative indicators of herd restoration, however this pattern seems to were reversed within the December figures.