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According to the data, the female breeding pig herd had declined by 14% to 343 000 head, which was the lowest figure in more than two decades.
In addition, the total breeding herd, including boars and first-time gilts, had seen a 15% decline year-on-year to 426 000 pigs.
At the same time, gestating sows and gilt numbers had fallen by 12% and 22% respectively, with the report suggesting that the number of fattening pigs coming into the production system would continue to decline.
According to a report by Farmers Weekly magazine in the UK, the sector had been enduring a long period of losses.
“Pig prices remain below cost of production, with the EU-spec standard pig price averaging 200,1p/kg (about R41,89/kg) for the week ending 10 December.”
According to figures from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), producers were estimated to have lost between £23 (R477) and £29 (R601) per pig slaughtered during November, while the cost of production was estimated at 232p/kg (R48,57/kg).
“We continue to see a turbulent marketplace for inputs, with feed values playing a prominent role in the changes to November’s estimate,” according to Carol Davis, lead analyst in farm economics at the board.
“Compound spot feed prices that witnessed increases in October have eased in the November estimate, although [they are] still higher than the levels seen in the spring.
“With the bank base [interest] rate at 2,93% in November, short and long-term interest rates have increased. Fuel prices continue to fluctuate, and energy prices are being maintained, but at an elevated level,” she added.
According to Farmers Weekly UK, clean pig slaughterings amounted to 995 000 animals in November, or a 0,5% increase on the same month last year. However, pork production was down 1,5% year-on-year compared with November 2021, when figures stood at 92 000t.
Meanwhile cattle numbers in the UK reached 9,6 million head in June 2022, which represented a 0,3% year-on-year increase.
However, the total breeding herd numbers fell by 0,9% to 3,3 million animals, with the dairy herd accounting for 56% of the breeding herd and beef animals for 44%.
In November, cattle slaughterings reached 178 000 head, or an increase of 5,2% on the same month last year, while beef production was up 6,1% compared with November 2021, at 84 000t, according to Defra.
The department’s data indicated that the UK’s total sheep and lamb numbers were back above 33 million in June 2022, which was an increase of 0,3% or 109 500 head year-on-year.
This was largely due to a 5,2% year-on-year rise in the number of ewes intended for first time breeding to 2,7 million.
The total female breeding flock was estimated at 15,8 million, a 1% year-on-year increase.
