UK clean pig slaughter picked up in February, with throughputs totalling 905,100 head – 5.2% more than the previous year (+45,000 head) according to reports, said AHDB analyst Felicity Rusk.
Slaughter of adult pigs also picked up in, totalling at 23,700 head, 3,800 head (18.9%) more than in the previous year, reflecting reports of improvements in exporting carcases to the continent.
Ms Rusk commented that, whilst while the size of the backlog has likely reduced, the reports also suggest there is still progress to be made to eradicate it completely.
Clean pig carcase weights dropped back from the previous month’s record-breaking 90.6kg, falling by 0.6kg in February to average 89.9kg. “This also supports reports that some of the backlog was addressed during February. Nevertheless, weights remain well above the previous year’s levels (+3.1kg),” said Rusk.
UK pig meat production totalled 84,900 tonnes in February, 9.5% more (7,400 tonnes) than in the previous year de to the combination of heavier carcase weights and higher slaughter numbers.
Ms Rusk added: “This increase was able to compensate for the lower production level seen in January. As such, production in the first two months of the year was 1.2% higher than in the previous year, at 165,100 tonnes.”
