France: Pig inventory and pork production decrease in 2022

According to the FranceAgriMer report "Dairy, meat and poultry markets, balance sheet 2022, outlook 2023", the 2020 agricultural census figures reveal a 28% decrease in the number of medium and large farms over ten years, which is related to farmers retiring without anyone taking their place. The impact of the conflict in Ukraine, which has increased already high production costs (feed, energy, etc.), has also had a negative impact on less productive farms. The French swine industry has lost 24,000 sows, i.e. 2.5% of its breeding herd, which is now close to 900,000 head. This is a continuing, long-term trend (-200,000 sows since 2012, i.e. -18%). The total number of pigs, with respect to 2021, has seen a similar decrease (-326,000 head, i.e. -2.5%). Since 2012, the slaughter in France has decreased by 5.3%, i.e. a loss of 1.3 million pigs between 2012 (24.1 million head) and 2022 (22.8 million head). Carcass weights, which in 2021 were still slightly up (94.6 kg), fell back in ...