According to data from the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture, between December 2021 and December 2023, over 30,000 disappeared from the map of the country. herds of pigs. The greatest losses were recorded in regions famous for pig production: Greater Poland and the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship.
Using data from the IRZ ARiMR system and obtained courtesy of Mariusz Dziwulski from PKO BP, yesterday we presented a list of twenty counties with the highest concentration of pig production.
How many herds of cattle have we lost?
Today we will discuss another aspect: we will answer the question of how the number of pig herds in Poland has changed over the past two years. We have known for a long time that this topic is wrong. However, it is worth pointing out the decline in the number of herds in individual voivodeships:
We also tried to graphically develop changes in the most important voivodeships:
The presented graphics clearly show that the highest losses in terms of numbers are recorded in traditional pig production areas: in Greater Poland and the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. In terms of percentage, we lost the most in the Lubuskie and Lower Silesian voivodeships.
Small herds are dying
It is worth emphasizing, however, that the discussed loss concerns only small herds. According to ARiMR data, during the period in question, herds with more than 500 pigs increased, while we lost over 30,000 herds with fewer than 500 pigs.
| Herd size (pcs) | 31.12.2021 | 31.12.2023 | 2023/2021 (st. r/r) |
| 0-500 | 78673 | 47236 | -31437 |
| 501-1000 | 2097 | 2100 | +3 |
| 1001-2000 | 1437 | 1597 | +160 |
| Above 2000 | 513 | 543 | +30 |
The concentration of pig production is increasing
It is worth emphasizing that the decline in the number of herds is not proportional to the decline in the pig population. This is naturally related to the increase in the concentration of pig production in Poland. We will write more about this topic soon, but it is worth mentioning that over the past two years, the average size of the pig herd has increased by over 50%. While at the end of 2021 the statistical herd numbered less than 120 animals, two years later this value exceeded 180 pigs. But we will write about the concentration of production in particular regions in a separate text.
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