Pig farming in Lower Saxony: Dramatic decline below 7 million!

Pig farming in Lower Saxony: Dramatic decline below 7 million!

In Lower Saxony it is becoming quieter in the stables: With only 6.86 million pigs, the number of animals falls below the 7 million mark - a novelty since 1996. The pig population fell by 3.7% between May 2024 and May 2025, and the declines not only affect the number of fattening pigs, which fell by 5.0%, but also that of young pigs, which fell by 8.0%. reduced to 1.2 million. But it's not just the inventory figures that give cause for concern, but also the companies themselves. The decline from 4,000 to 3,700 companies in Lower Saxony is evidence of the tense situation in the industry pigs.net reported.

The reasons for this decline are varied. According to a survey by the Interest Group of Pig Farmers in Germany (ISN), many farmers have the feeling that it will be difficult to continue farming pigs economically. Around 20% of sow farmers and 16% of fattening pig farmers plan to quit in the next ten years; smaller farms in particular are affected. This is in stark contrast to the average numbers on remaining farms, which have actually increased by around 25% for fattening pigs and 40% for sows.

Animal welfare as the main risk

Animal welfare scandals and environmental problems have put a damper on the image of pig farming. Even if the number of piglets increased slightly by 1.9% to 1.8 million, it remains unclear how many of these will actually be used for piglet breeding in the next few years. Only 40% of sow farmers intend to do so, while many are unsure or even want to quit altogether. That shows ndr.de.

The husbandry guidelines set by politicians require high investments in stable renovations and new buildings - a hurdle that can be fatal for many small businesses that often do not have the necessary resources. The requirements of the Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Husbandry Ordinance, which has been in force since February 2021, have also placed additional requirements on pig farmers. The sautechsee Noise and harmful gases are issues that pose challenges for farmers, while new minimum requirements for stables and farrowing pens expect greater space requirements. Loud lwk-niedersachsen.de Farmers not only have to invest in new technology, but also get used to the increased standards.

The future of pig farming

A new label will be introduced by 2024 that shows at a glance how well the pigs were kept. This could have a negative impact on sales of products from conventional pig farming and encourage many consumers to resort to products from higher farming levels, from which only 3.5% of fattening pigs have benefited so far. ISN managing director Torsten Staack warns of a dramatic structural break in sow farming.

In the latest analysis, Lower Saxony remains the state with the most pigs in Germany, with 32.8% of the herds, followed by North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. It remains to be seen how the challenges mentioned will continue to play out. The topic of pig farming in Lower Saxony will remain exciting in the future, and the local farmers must arm themselves to secure the future in the stables.