Denmark’s overall pig population reached 12.6 million head, down by 1.5% on 1 January compared to the start of 2018, according to the latest figures published by Statistics Denmark analyzed by the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
AHDB analyst Bethan Wilkins said that the pig herd was also down nearly 3% on the final quarter of last year but explained that towards the end of the year the pig population usually reports a seasonal decline.
Wilkins added that the breeding herd was also down by 1% on the year and said that the number of gilts tends to “fluctuate from census to census but these numbers perhaps suggest there is ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of piglet production”.
Piglet numbers declined by just under 1% on the year, slightly behind the decline in lactating sows, suggesting there has been some further improvements in productivity.
