The Netherlands remains the odd one out in a broad EU pig market

The developments surrounding slaughter figures continue to move in the same direction. In the Netherlands, the market is clearly considerably tighter than normal. However, this is almost entirely attributable to the LBV+ scheme. In competing countries, the market is in fact remarkably ample. Pig slaughterings reached a level of 262,088 pigs in week 11. That is a decrease of 10.5% compared with the level of a year ago. The question is whether this new level is the new norm for now. Week 11 was still a week in which the market was clearly preparing for the Easter peak. Neighbouring markets ample The decline is directly related to the LBV+ scheme. There is no comparable decline in the Netherlands' main competing neighbouring markets. In Germany, the slaughter figure is at a more or less normal level of 738.322 pigs. Still, the meat market is considerably more ample, as there is no build-up towards Easter. The slaughter figure is at a level you would have expected last year around the Easter peak. From that week on, well over 700.000 pigs were slaughtered every week. Although this can partly be explained by Easter falling much earlier than a year ago, the high number of slaughterings was still ample even within that context. The supply of slaughter pigs is simply higher in our eastern neighbour as well. The market is also very ample in Denmark. In the first 10 weeks of the year, the slaughter figure is 7,9% above last year's level. The number of slaughterings is more or less consistently around 330.000 pigs per week, with week 8 peaking at 341.818 pigs.