The pig meat production in the European Union is expected to continue its decline throughout 2017 but at a more moderate level, as some farms increase their production in response to high prices.
Â
The European Commission estimates in its ‘Short-term outlook for EU agricultural markets in 2017 and 2018’ that this increase will result in a total annual production at around 23.4 million tons for the year, a decrease of 0.6% compared to the previous year. Analysts expect the pig meat production to stabilize in 2018.
According to the livestock survey from December 2016, for 2017 it was estimated a new reduction of 2% in the EU breeding pig herd, the same reduction as in 2015. At the same time, it also indicated an increase of 1.4% in the number of sows covered for the first time, after a drop of 6% in 2015. According to the EC, these events caused a reverse of the existing trend, the pig meat  production saw a fall in volume by 1.4% in the first quarter of this year. Except for the Netherlands and Spain, where production rose, all the main producing countries were affected.
Â
Â
