French pig sector shows signs of recovery

High variability in slaughter numbers In the first three quarters of this year, slaughter numbers totaled just over 16.4 million animals, just 0.2% less than in the same period in 2023. Monthly numbers this year, however, continue to show high variability. Only in 5 of the last 9 months have more pigs been slaughtered in France year-on-year. Regular declines in herd numbers for over 20 years However, these latest numbers are less negative than those of the last few years. In 2023, the number of pigs slaughtered was 22 million, down 5% compared to 2022, Agreste calculated in its analysis. This was in line with the decline in pig numbers seen in other European countries. The decline last year was much greater than in 2022, when French pig production fell by 2.2%. In each month of 2023, the number of slaughters was lower than the average from 2018 to 2022. Between 2003 and 2023, French pig production fell by an average of 0.8% per year, Agreste says in its report. The new significant ...