Less pigs and more poultry: a growing trend

With respectively 14 and 28 millions of hens and chickens, the poultry numbers observed in Belgium in 2016 have never been so high. The increase amounts to 14 % compared with 2015 and to 99 % over 30 years. At the same time, the pig population is still going down and has reached its lowest level in 30 years.
Regarding crops, the surface areas of sugar beets have increased for the first time since 2011, while the potato crops have confirmed their strong growth. Areas covered by pear trees are still growing to reach 9,500 ha, an increase of 6 % compared to 2015.