A provisional count showed the country has 5,879 farms, of which 5,125 were in Flanders, the northern part of the country – which mostly consists of flat countryside.

The total number of pigs, however, grew slightly by 1.2 per cent to almost 6.4 million animals. The majority of this number, more than six million, can also be found in Flanders. The greatest growth was seen in finishing pigs.