In the UK, the meat industry is facing a decline in production according to new research from the government.
The Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2023 report, reveals a 3.7% year-on-year decrease in meat production, marking the first decline in ten years. Diving deeper into the data, findings show a significant drop in domestic pig production with the total number of pigs falling by 10% to 4.7 million animals.
Furthermore, the beef herd decreased by 3.8% to 1.4 million animals, while the total number of cattle and calves decreased by 0.8% to 9.6 million animals. Other declines include the total number of poultry dropping by 2.9% to 178 million birds, and the total number of sheep and lambs decreasing by 4.1% to 32 million animals.
The annual report also highlights a decrease in the UK’s dairy herd by 0.3% to 1.8 million animals, and a 2.7% reduction in cereal crops area to 3.1 million hectares. Moreover, the total labour force on commercial holdings reduced by 1.7% to 462,000 people, attributing contextual factors such as rising input prices due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, ongoing labor shortages, avian influenza, and bovine tuberculosis.
One contributing factor to the decline in meat production is the decrease in meat consumption. Government data indicates a 14% drop in per capita meat consumption between 2012 and 2022 as consumers cut back on meat intake due to both personal choices and rising prices.
