Inside Pigs
European pork production is falling
European pork production was lower at the beginning of this year than last year. In January, 1,9% less meat was produced than in the first month of 2019, according to Eurostat data. Where has production fallen the most?
Read this article?
Become a subscriber and get instant access
Choose the subscription that suits you
A total of 22,7 million pigs were slaughtered in Europe (including the United Kingdom) in January. European pork production this month amounted to 2,16 million tonnes. That is a decrease of 42.400 tons and amounts to a decrease of 1,9%. This decrease dates back to before the spread of the coronavirus in Europe.
Meat production
The countries where production has fallen the most are Poland and Italy. Polish production decreased by 14% to 27.000 tons. Italian production has fallen by 13.000 tons, a decrease of 10%. Pork production has also fallen in Spain and Germany, the two countries with the highest production. Both countries have produced 1% less meat, for Germany this means a decrease of 4.000 tons and for Spain this is a decrease of 3.400 tons.
There are also countries that produced more pork than last year. Total production is higher in both the Netherlands and Denmark. Dutch production increased by 13.900 tons and Danish production increased by 4.300 tons.
Supply and demand
The drop in production may have provided some support to European pig prices, which started to recover in February but fell again in March. The ratio between supply and demand has fluctuated since January.
According to a recent analysis by GIRA, an international consultancy and research agency, demand for pork within Europe could decline by between 2020% and 3,5% in 4,5. Production is also expected to decline, but less rapidly. Chinese demand remains strong for the time being, further stimulating the export market. Competition from American products is likely to become an increasing challenge.