However, when adjusted to the same working days, production levels were slightly back on 2015 levels, by 2 per cent.

Similarly, clean pig slaughterings were also up in May on the year earlier, by 3 per cent to 20.8 million head, and slightly down when adjusted to the same number of working days, by 2 per cent.

The decrease in slaughterings and production illustrates the tightening of supplies during May and during the same period, demand from the Far East strengthened considerably. Therefore, both factors assisted in a sharp increase in the EU pig price that was recorded through May.

There were fluctuations in production levels from the member states. German production was up 1 per cent year-on-year, while Spanish production increased by 11 per cent over the same period. Denmark posted the most significant fall in production levels, at 16 per cent, and the Netherlands saw production fall back by a lesser degree, at 7 per cent.