Danish pig herd increased by 3%

Denmark is reporting an increase of 3% in its pig inventory and looks like is going to benefit from an opposite trend reported in Germany and the Netherlands. On 1 April, the Danish pig herd totaled 13.2 million head. There was an upwards trend in the breeding herd (+1%), driven by an increase in the number of gilts intended for breeding (+4%). The number of in-pig sows was stable, though there was a small increase in the number of in-pig gilts (+1%). Altogether, this suggests the expansion of the Danish herd is still underway, with the potential to boost supplies going forward. Breeding pig numbers have been falling in Germany and the Netherlands, both key producers in Northern Europe. Any expansion in production from Denmark would act to compensate for losses elsewhere.By now, the heaviest pigs recorded in the survey will have already been slaughtered. Pig slaughter in Denmark has been 10% higher than year-earlier levels for the year so far, reflecting the significant growth in ...