EU - Drop in pig numbers points to higher prices

As of December 2008, there were an estimated 153 million pigs in the EU, which is 4 per cent lower than 12 months previously. But of greater concern is the fact that the breeding herd was reduced by 6 per cent to just over 14 million animals. Sow numbers in Germany, Denmark and Spain fell by 5 per cent, while there has been a similar decline in the number of in-pig gilts right across the EU.