The English pig herd declined by 10% final 12 months, whereas breeding herd stabilised however confirmed a worrying drop in younger pig numbers, Defra’s December census for England exhibits.

The whole variety of pigs in England fell to three.3 million in December 2023, representing a lack of almost 400,000 pigs. The ten% year-on-year decline was pushed by an 11% fall within the variety of fattening pigs which account for 91% of all pigs, to only over 3m.

The general English pig breeding herd was 1% down on December 2022 at 300,800. The feminine breeding herd, which accounts for 79% of breeding pigs, noticed a small enhance of 0.7% from 237,000 in December 2022 to 239,000 in December 2023. This adopted a dramatic 20% contraction in 2022, because of the pig disaster, which adopted a 7% contraction on 2021.

This enhance was pushed by a 3.5% rise within the variety of sows in pig to 175,500 and a 0.7% rise within the variety of ‘different sows’ to 38,400.

Nevertheless, this offset a 16% fall within the variety of gilts in pig, in comparison with December 2022. The census additionally confirmed a 7% year-on-year decline within the variety of gilts not but in pig to 54,200.

The variety of boars for service was 8.7% decrease at just below 8,000.

The December census totals are usually decrease than the June populations and that was once more the case. The general pig herd was an additional 8.5% down on the June the census determine for England of three.6m. The general breeding herd was 8.6% decrease and the feminine breeding herd determine 7.1% down on June, whereas gilts in pig have been 21% decrease and gilts not in pig 15% decrease.

The census figures for gilts could additional dampen expectations for the speed of restoration within the English pig herd. Wholesome will increase within the variety of gilts in pig and never but in pig within the June survey have been seen as indicators of tentative indicators of herd restoration, however this pattern seems to have been reversed within the December figures.