Pig stock went up by 0.6 per cent last year compared to 2008.

The National Statistics Office said that in December, the pig population amounted to 65,918 heads, 407 more than in 2008.

Whereas the stock of piglets decreased by 8.1 per cent, stocks of young and fattening pigs increased by 10.3 and one per cent respectively.

Breeding stock, consisting mainly of breeding sows, registered a decrease of 1.9 per cent when compared to 2008.

The survey revealed that 139 holdings were engaged in pig production, of which 61.9 per cent had less than 400 pigs. These accounted for 21 per cent, or 13,869 heads, of the total stock.

38.1 per cent of all holdings had more than 400 heads, with a total of 52,049 pigs, or 79 per cent of the population.

On a regional level, pig stock in Malta increased by 1.1 per cent while a decrease of six per cent was registered in Gozo and Comino.

The number of pigs in Maltese farms amounted to 61,851, of which 36 per cent were located in the western district.

The pig population in Gozo and Comino amounted to 4,067 heads, or 6.2 per cent of the total stock.