Pig meat production increased by over 4 per cent in 2015, to almost 900,000 tonnes, the fastest growth since 2011. Growth was slightly slower in the second half of the year but December’s output of 68,900 tonnes was still 3 per cent higher than a year earlier.

The higher production was mainly due to a near 4 per cent rise in clean pig slaughterings, with the total of just over 10.6 million head the highest since 2000.

Slightly slower growth in December, just under 3 per cent year on year, took that month’s throughputs to 820,600 head.

The UK figure for December was boosted by a 12 per cent annual rise in the Northern Irish kill and a 7 per cent increase in Scotland; English slaughterings only grew by 1 per cent compared with a year earlier.

Following strong growth in 2014, carcase weights were only slightly heavier in 2015, averaging 81.3kg.

Through the autumn, weights were actually below year earlier levels but by December they had moved slightly above December 2014’s level, to average 80.9kg.

With sow slaughterings also up again during the month, by 7 per cent to 16,600 head, this added to the production growth.

Sow throughputs for the year as a whole totalled 244,400 head, 1 per cent more than in 2014. A 5 per cent rise in the second half of the year more than offset the 4 per cent fall in the first half.