EU pork production rose 2% year-on-year in November to total just under 2.1 million tonnes, according to the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), based on the latest figures published by Eurostat.
Tom Forshaw, AHDB analyst, said that the increase in production was driven by an increase in slaughterings, which were also up 2% year-on-year to total 22.7 million head. Average carcase weights for across the bloc were therefore relatively unchanged at 92.4kg. Increased production towards the end of 2018 kept prices low, although there’s been no further downward pressure on the EU reference price since November. So, it seems supply and demand have been fairly balanced.
Higher production for much of the year means that pig meat production in the year to date now totals 21.9 million tonnes, up 3% compared to 2017. Meanwhile slaughterings are up 2% to total 239 million head, with a slight increase in carcase weights (+0.36kg) over the year as a whole also contributing to increased production.
