The total pig stock at that date amounted to 73,683 pigs, a rise of 658 pigs (+0.9 per cent) when compared to the 73,025 pigs which were registered in 2005 the National Statistics Office reported yesterday. The total number of pig farms recorded in this year’s survey amounted to 154.

Although the number of pigs recorded increased slightly, the pig population declined by 5.9 per cent when compared to 2002, when 78,303 pigs were recorded. Likewise to 2004, 2006 showed an increase over the previous year.

All categories except fattening pigs registered declines when compared to the 2005 pig survey. An increase of 11.7 per cent was registered in the “fattening pigs” group. All other categories registered declines, ranging from 1.1 per cent for the breeding stock to 5.9 per cent for piglets.

Source: The Malta Independent Online