Fewer pigs but bigger ones

By Peter Crichton

FACED with a potential drop of up to 40% in the size of the UK herd in the year ahead, slaughterers have at long last woken up to the fact that there wont be enough UK pigmeat to go round.

The Malton Bacon factory has announced a hike in their carcass weights to 84kg and other are expected to follow suit.

Although most EU abattoirs have been happy to source pigs between 85-90kg deadweight the UK market has long been supplied at a 70kg average.

One of the problems of using heavier pigs in the UK has been the possibility of boar taint.

Many of the leading catering buyers say they prefer to use imports because of the better eating quality associated with castrates.

However, because of the high welfare considerations of the UK pig industry, it is unlikely that we will see a return to widespread pig castration, which will continue to limit the availability to produce heavier pigs and compete with imports.

Other signs of the effects of the drop in pig numbers has been flagged up by Grampian Foods, which has announced that up to 600 jobs may be at risk in their pigmeat processing divisions.

Trade sources report an increase in abattoir interest in fixed price and other long term supply contracts to try and ensure that they retain supplies in a dwindling market.

It is clear from forward predictions that there will not be enough pigs to keep the abattoirs at full flow.

This will lead to further mergers, closures and to the greater use of imported carcass meat by many of the big operators such as Unigate.

Two major pig suppliers who between them produce about 10,000 finishers per week have indicated that they will be well down on contract and spot numbers in the next four-week period.

• Peter Crichton is a Suffolk-based pig farmer offering independent valuation and consultancy services to the UK pig industry
• Farmers slam government over Grampian job cuts, FWi, today (10 December, 1999)