UK pig meat production growth eases in Q3 2026

• In September, pig production was marginally lower than September 2025, the first annual fall since August 2025
• Over the whole of Q3 2026, production eased to 246,600 tonnes, down 1.6% on Q2 but still higher year-on-year
• Growth came from higher slaughter numbers rather than heavier pigs, with Q3 average clean pig carcase weight at 89.9 kg, level with a year earlier
• Sow and boar slaughter continued to climb, reaching 56,000 head in Q3, up 15.4% year-on-year, as producers responded to less favourable margins; this could weigh on clean pig production into 2027

UK pig meat production remained above year earlier levels in Q3 2026, although growth has slowed.

According to the latest Defra data, production totalled 246,600 tonnes between July and September. This was 4,000 tonnes (1.6%) lower than in Q2, but 6,900 tonnes (2.8%) higher than in Q3 2025, making it the largest third quarter output since 2022.

Year-on-year (YoY) growth has eased from 5.3% in Q1 and 4.8% in Q2. Even so, production over the first nine months of 2026 totalled 754,000 tonnes, up 31,300 tonnes (4.3%) on the same period last year, so domestic supply remains ample.

September production was 84,100 tonnes, up 5,000 tonnes (6.3%) in August, when output was held back by fewer working days.

However, it was 0.2% below September 2025, ending a run of 12 consecutive months of YoY growth.

Figure 1. Monthly UK pig meat production 2024–2026 (thousand tonnes)

Figure 1 shows UK pig meat production remained fairly steady throughout the year, ranging from around 75,000 to 90,000 tonnes. Production in 2025 and the 2026 forecast are generally above 2024 levels and close to or above the five-year average.

Clean pig slaughter totalled 2.64 million head in Q3, up 2.3% YoY and 0.4% higher than in Q2.

Across the first nine months, 7.92 million clean pigs were slaughtered, 2.4% more than in the same period of 2025.

In September, 890,300 clean pigs were slaughtered, 5.3% more than in August. However, this was 1.1% fewer than in September 2025, despite both months having the same number of working days.

It was the first YoY fall in monthly clean pig slaughter since May.

By country, clean pig slaughter in England and Wales rose 3.9% YoY in Q3 and accounted for 80% of the UK total.

Scotland rose 10.4%, although it accounts for only 2% of UK slaughter. Northern Ireland fell 5.2%, its fourth consecutive quarterly decline and the steepest of the four, taking its share to just under 18%.

Sow and boar slaughter continued to climb, reaching 56,000 head in Q3, up 15.4% YoY after an 11% rise in Q2. This was the highest quarterly total since Q4 2023 and takes the nine-month increase to 10.2%.

Sustained higher culling can be an early sign of breeding herd reduction, which would weigh on clean pig supplies into 2027 if it continues.

Figure 2. Monthly UK clean pig slaughter 2024–2026 (thousand head)

Figure 2 shows UK clean pig slaughter remained relatively stable at around 800,000 to 950,000 head per month. The 2025 figures and 2026 forecast generally track above 2024 levels and are close to or above the five-year average for most of the year.

Weights were elevated at the start of the year, when processing backlogs meant pigs were held on farm for longer. This drove much of the production growth in the first half of the year.

Carcase weights are now back in line with last year (Figure 3).

The Q3 average clean pig carcase weight was 89.9 kg, 2.1 kg lower than in Q2 and just 0.1 kg above Q3 2025.

This compares with YoY increases of 2.8 kg in Q1 and 1.8 kg in Q2.

Figure 3. Monthly UK clean pig carcase weights 2024–2026 (kg)

This latest production data will not come as a surprise to the industry.

Production was particularly high in the UK in the first part of the year and with domestic demand down, particularly for processed pig meat, pig prices have been dropping.

Falling pig prices impact producer margins, which have been further affected by rising costs of production.  

The data demonstrates that many pig producers have started to scale back, or leave the industry, which is pulling production down.

We expect this to continue into 2027, which will help balance supply and demand.

Our pork market outlook was published last month and includes a detailed analysis.