Number of pig farms in Belgium down by almost 5%
The number of farms having pigs in Belgium has shrunk by 4.6% in comparison to last year.
A recent provisional count in Belgium revealed that the country has 5,879 farms, of which 5,125 were spotted in Flanders, the northern part of the country – which mostly consists of flat countryside.
Pig numbers up
The total number of pigs, however, grew slightly by 1.2% to almost 6.4 million animals. The majority of this number, over 6 million, can also be found in Flanders. The most growth was seen in finisher pigs.
Total numbers of finishers heavier than 50 kg reached more than 2.8 million – a 2.2% year on year increase.
Breeding pig stocks have come down, however. The number of boars dropped by 9.9% to almost 6,800 animals. This is related to the growing Artificial Insemination practice in Belgium. In addition, the number of sows went down by 2%.
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