Danish pig production expected to increase in 2025
Following some years of unchanged productivity development, Denmark is now seeing an upsurge in productivity in pig production.
Development in quarterly pig production in Denmark and projection for the coming quarters
Pig production in Denmark (slaughtering + export) totalled 30.8 million head in 2024. This is a rise of approximately 1.1 million pigs compared to 2023. The increase was reflected in exports of piglets which, in 2024, rose by 1.3 million head, while slaughtering fell by 0.2 million.
The rise in productivity and an increased breeding herd shown in recent censuses are expected to mean a rise in pig production in Denmark (slaughtering + export) of 3.8 per cent in 2025, corresponding to almost 1.2 million more pigs. Piglet exports are expected to increase by approximately 750,000 head while slaughtering is expected to rise by a little more than 400,000 head.
Should, however, economic conditions for exporting piglets change, this can rapidly impact the relationship between the export of piglets and domestic slaughtering.