The 2023 data indicate that U.S. sales and distribution of medically important antimicrobial drugs approved for use in food-producing animals decreased by 2% between 2022 and 2023. This represents a 37% decrease in sales since the sales peaked in 2015.

Medically important antimicrobial drugs approved for use in swine reached over 2.68 million kg in 2023, a similar volume to 2022 and down 14% from 2016.

Faced with the growing threat of African swine fever (ASF) coming mainly from Germany, the French Ministry of Agriculture is reinforcing surveillance measures in border departments such as Bas-Rhin and Moselle. This decision makes it possible to mobilize more agents in the field to increase the detection of wild boar carcasses, which are collected and analyzed, as has been the case since January 2022 in the three departments of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) region bordering northern Italy.

This enhanced surveillance aims to detect the arrival of ASF in wildlife as early as possible, to avoid its spread and prevent its transmission to domestic pigs. The Ministry's services are in contact with hunters' representatives to achieve optimal regulation of wild boar on the border with Germany, as is being done in the PACA region.

At the beginning of June 2024, the pig inventory was at 9,132 thousand head, down 304.3 thousand head (by 3.2%) from the same period in 2023, and down 637.7 thousand head, or 6.5%, compared to December 2023.

The breeding sow herd increased by 92.1 thousand head (15.6%) compared to June 2023 to 682.7 thousand head, of which the population of gestating sows increased by 46.1 thousand head (10.9%) to 468 thousand head. Compared to December 2023, the number of breeding sows increased by 19.4 thousand head (by 2.9%), of which gestating sows increased by 11.5 thousand head, or 2.5%.

According to preliminary data, from January to June 2024 imports of live pigs totaled 4,039.1 thousand head, 13.4% higher than in the same period a year ago, of which imports of piglets and weaners increased by 16.7%. The average weight of one imported head during the period was 32.1 kg, compared to 33.3 kg in 2023.

The largest shares of the national pig population were held by the provinces of Wielkopolska (28.8%), Mazovia (15.1%), Łódź (11.1%), as well as Kujawsko-Pomorskie (9.4%) and Pomorskie (8.6%). The provinces with the smallest shares were Lubuskie (0.8%), Podkarpackie (0.9%), and Małopolskie (1.1%).

In June 2024, the purchase price of live pigs (PLN 7.74 per kg) was 0.7% higher than a month ago, and fell by 18.0% year-on-year.