Recent figures show that pig numbers in England have decreased by 10% during 2023, leading on from the larger 18% reduction of the breeding herd back in 2022.

Figures released on Defra’s December census highlighted that the breeding herd remained steady during 2023, however with an additional drop in young pigs.

A reduction of 400,000 pigs in England meant pig numbers dropped to 3.3m during December 2023 as stated in Defra’s December census.

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The 10% decline witnessed in 2023 was largely down to the 11% drop in fattening pigs to just above 3m.

In England, a further decrease of 1% since December 2022 on the breeding herd means the number is down to 300,800.

The female breeding herd accounted for 79% of breeding pigs, during 2023 this herd expanded by just 0.7% to 239,000.

2023’s increase was created by a 3.5% uptake in the number of sows in pigs to 175,500 and a 0.7% growth in the amount of ‘other sows’.

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However, these 2023 figures are dampened by the 16% drop of gilts in pigs compared to the year prior. Statistics also show that the number of gilts not yet in pigs had fallen 7% to 54,200.

The census carried out in December 2023, often shows a lower population than in June and that was once again the case with the overall pig herd down another 8.5% on June figures in England of 3.6m.

The breeding herd was down 8.6% and the female breeding herd amounted to 7.1% less than seen in June, gilts in pig were 21% down and gilts not in pig dropped by 15%.