The UK pig sector endured its 10th successive quarter of negative margins over the first three months of this year, but improving pig prices and feed costs saw it move much closer to profitability, according to a press release from the National Pig Association.

The latest net margin figures from AHDB showed the full economic cost of production for Q1 2023 was estimated at 213p/kg deadweight, slightly higher than the average price over the period, resulting in averages losses of £1/head.

While this means the run of negative margins since Q3 2020 continues, it was a notable improvement on successive 2022 margins of -£58, -£52, -£23 and -£17.

The Q1 figures estimated that the cost of production fell by 11p/kg from the Q4 2022 figure of 224p/kg.