Livestock Breeding Herds Fall to Record Lows in England

{Livestock Breeding Herds Fall to Record Lows in England – This is all great news providing imports are not growing. – Earth and Leaf editorial}

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Livestock breeding herds fall to record lows in England

Breeding numbers for cattle, sheep, and pigs have all contracted in the past year, according to Defra’s latest June census.

The female breeding pig herd fell to an all-time low of just 251,000 head in England as of 1 June 2024 having roughly halved since the turn of the century.

Contraction in the number of breeding sows has been driven by a combination of challenging financial conditions in recent years and also technological advancements, with lower mortality rates for piglets and heavier finished pig carcass weights both helping to increase overall production.

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