Livestock count from November 3rd, 2023: The decline in pig numbers has stopped for the time being. As of November 3rd, 2023, the German pig population has increased again by +1.3% compared to the May 23 count. However, it is -0.7% less year-on-year . For sows, there was only an insignificant increase of +0.25%. However, the number of pig-keeping businesses continues to decline by 4.5% compared to the previous year. The trend towards higher population sizes continues to an average of 1,300 animals per farming unit. However, there were clear differences in the animal categories: the number of fattening pigs was -1.1% lower, while the number of piglets and young pigs increased by +3.7% compared to the May 23 count. The breeding sow herds develop very differently in the individual federal states. In Lower Saxony -3.1% (-11,300 animals) fewer mother animals were counted and in Bavaria it was even -4.9% (-8,000 animals).In contrast, the sow population in North Rhine-Westphalia increased by +6.4% (+20,000 animals) and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania even +11.6% (+6,400 animals). A possible background for this development is the different conversion reactions to the new animal husbandry regulations.
