Pig population increases

The pig population rose by 7.1 per cent between 2009 and 2010, while the number of slaughtered pigs fell by 5.4 per cent, according to the National Statistics Office.

A census held last year indicates that last December, there were 70,583 pigs, representing an increase of 4,665 over 2009.

The stock of piglets and fattening pigs rose by 13.9 and 15.5 per cent respectively, while stocks of young pigs slipped by 4.9 per cent. The breeding stock, which consists mainly of sows, registered a drop of 5.2 per cent when compared to the previous year.

The NSO said the census revealed that 131 farms were engaged in pig production. Of these, 60.3 per cent had less than 400 pigs apiece and accounted for 19.7 per cent of the total stock.

On a regional level, the pig population increased by 5.2 per cent in Malta and 34.9 per cent in Gozo and Comino, where the population amounted to 7.8 per cent of the total stock.