Weekly pig slaughtering numbers seem like on the lowest degree exterior of Christmas and New Yr since April 2010, figures recommend.
Estimated GB slaughterings for the week ended 16 March had been almost 6,000 down on the earlier week, 20,000 under the identical week a yr in the past and 34,000 under the 2022 determine.
The figures, which are sometimes topic to revision, had been revealed by AHDB as a part of its newest market information for the pig sector.
The Nationwide Pig Affiliation (NPA) mentioned the drop seemed to be a mix of the vastly decreased breeding herd, mixed with productiveness points, partly the results of the relentless moist climate.
“Probably the most eye-catching a part of the newest of AHDB’s market information is the drop of in estimated slaughter numbers,” the physique mentioned.
“If these change into correct – and they’re usually revision – weekly GB slaughterings at 141,000 for the week seem like on the lowest degree exterior of Christmas and New Yr since April 2010.”
In the meantime, the EU-spec SPP has dropped again once more, dropping 0.18p to face at 211.31p/kg throughout the week ended 16 March, following the earlier week’s 00.16p enhance.
It has been secure for the reason that finish of January, when it stood at 211.38p/kg, fluctuating up and down by small quantities since, and is now roughly again to the place it was.
It’s now, nonetheless, for the primary time in a really very long time, now greater than 1p behind the SPP of a yr in the past, which stood at 212.53p/kg, at a time when pig costs had been nonetheless rising at a good fee.
The extra unstable APP, which incorporates premium pigs, gained 1.2p throughout the week ended 9 March to face at 211.63p/kg, cancelling out the declines of the earlier fortnight. This put it again forward of the SPP for the week by simply 0.14p/kg.
Regardless of the newest reverse, the NPA mentioned many throughout the business remained optimistic that the mix of tightening provides and rising EU markets will help the market over the approaching weeks.
