Austrian pig numbers on the rise

Published: September 9, 2009

By: Statistik.at; PigProgress.net

Austrian pig stocks have seen a 2.9% rise, a total figure of 3 151 000 animals, in compared to the data from the last national census in December 2008.

An increase in piglets and young pigs are primarily responsible for this rise, their numbers rising by 4.4% to 1 673 000 animals. The stock of fattening pigs rose during the same period by 1.4% to 1 179 000 animals while the stock of breeding sows almost remained constant at 292 000 (+0.2%).

At regional level the three important regions in pig farming Lower- and Upper Austria as well as Styria show a rise in holdings of just over 3% each. So 72.2% of (formerly: 69.9%) Austrian pig holdings based there were able to raise their share of the total pig stock to 92.5% (formerly: 92.3%).

Structurally the continuing trend towards concentration of the sector remains with the rise of the mean number of stocks in just 6 months from 80 to 86 animals per holding.

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