Pig meat production remains below levels seen last year, with November production sat at 85,200 tonnes, according to a recent market report from the UK's Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

Although this is a slight elevation of 2,500 tonnes (3%) from the previous month, driven by increased slaughter, it is a fall of 3,200 tonnes (3.6%) from November 2022 . Increased production may be a result of more shoppers choosing to eat gammon over Christmas.

Clean pig slaughter numbers have grown to 910,500 head in November, an increase of 2.6% from October with reports of pigs being brought forward ahead of Christmas. However, numbers are down 45,900 head (4.8%) from the same time last year and 36,100 head (3.8%) behind the five-year average, as the population of fattening pigs continues to decline. Clean pig slaughter year to date (Jan – Nov) sits at 9.28m head, a drop of 9% (930,000 head) from the same period in 2022.