Ireland's national pig herd consists of 1,644,121 pigs in 1,631 active herds according to the 2019 National Pig Census, the results of which have just been published by the Department of Agriculture.
This was a decrease of 80,225 pigs (4.7%) on the 2018 national herd.
The 2019 total was made up of 141,622 breeding pigs, 1,501,791 fattening pigs and 708 non-production pigs.
Breeding pig numbers were up by 3,731 or 2.7%, after two years of decline.
Herds
The vast majority of pigs in the national herd are farmed on a small number of large commercial units of 1,000 pigs or more.
Thus:
96.7% of all pigs were recorded in 279 herds, each keeping more than 1,000 pigs. There were 279 herds with 1,000 pigs or more, up from 275 in 2018.Looking at the largest herds, 39 herds (2.4%) with over 10,000 pigs accounted for over one-third (36.8%) of the total pig population, or 604,953 pigs.This left a large number of herds with small numbers of pigs.
1,190 herds (some 73% of all herds) had 20 or fewer pigs.1,042 respondents, representing 63.4% of active herds, had five or fewer pigs. As has been the case since 2016, Cavan recorded the largest pig population with some 320,514 pigs, representing 19.5% of the total. Cork again recorded the second-highest population with 285,951 pigs (17.4%) and Tipperary recorded the third-highest number with 170,623 pigs (10.4%).
The smallest populations were recorded in Dublin (178 pigs), Sligo (3,244) and Leitrim (5,286).
At 55, Cavan had the most commercial herds of more than 1,000 pigs. It was followed by Cork (40) Tipperary (24) and Wexford (18).
The Diseases of Animals Act 1966 requires that any person who keeps any pigs must take part in a national census.
Pig Census forms were issued to the 3,029 pig keepers registered with the Department. Returns were received from 2,692 pig keepers, representing a response rate of 88.9%.
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Ireland's national pig herd consists of 1,644,121 pigs in 1,631 active herds according to the 2019 National Pig Census, the results of which have just been published by the Department of Agriculture.
This was a decrease of 80,225 pigs (4.7%) on the 2018 national herd.
The 2019 total was made up of 141,622 breeding pigs, 1,501,791 fattening pigs and 708 non-production pigs.
Breeding pig numbers were up by 3,731 or 2.7%, after two years of decline.
Herds
The vast majority of pigs in the national herd are farmed on a small number of large commercial units of 1,000 pigs or more.
Thus:
96.7% of all pigs were recorded in 279 herds, each keeping more than 1,000 pigs. There were 279 herds with 1,000 pigs or more, up from 275 in 2018.Looking at the largest herds, 39 herds (2.4%) with over 10,000 pigs accounted for over one-third (36.8%) of the total pig population, or 604,953 pigs.This left a large number of herds with small numbers of pigs.
1,190 herds (some 73% of all herds) had 20 or fewer pigs.1,042 respondents, representing 63.4% of active herds, had five or fewer pigs. As has been the case since 2016, Cavan recorded the largest pig population with some 320,514 pigs, representing 19.5% of the total. Cork again recorded the second-highest population with 285,951 pigs (17.4%) and Tipperary recorded the third-highest number with 170,623 pigs (10.4%).
The smallest populations were recorded in Dublin (178 pigs), Sligo (3,244) and Leitrim (5,286).
At 55, Cavan had the most commercial herds of more than 1,000 pigs. It was followed by Cork (40) Tipperary (24) and Wexford (18).
The Diseases of Animals Act 1966 requires that any person who keeps any pigs must take part in a national census.
Pig Census forms were issued to the 3,029 pig keepers registered with the Department. Returns were received from 2,692 pig keepers, representing a response rate of 88.9%.
Read more
Pig farmers on course to enjoy best profits in 40 years
African swine fever: what is it and what can we do?
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