Clear trend break in German meat production

The largest increase was recorded in the production of pork. After years of sharply declining slaughter numbers, more animals were slaughtered last year than in 2023. The number of pig slaughters grew by 1,2% and amounted to 44,6 million heads. That was more than half a million pigs more than in 2023. Because the animals had higher slaughter weights on average, the volume of meat increased by 1,9% to 4,3 million tonnes.

Limited increase in poultry and beef production
Poultry meat production amounted to 1,6 million tonnes. An increase of 0,3%. This was mainly due to a larger supply of broilers (+1,8%). Turkey meat seems to be less popular. Production fell by 2,1% and amounted to approximately 0,4 million tonnes. The declining popularity of turkey fits in with a longer-term trend. Since 2020, turkey meat production in Germany has fallen by almost 22%, according to figures from the European Commission.

German beef production rose by 2024% to 1,2 million tonnes in 1. The number of animals slaughtered remained virtually stable, but came to the slaughter hook with higher weights.

The increased meat production seems to be well absorbed by the market in all sectors. In the second half, pork, beef and poultry meat were in good demand and highly priced. Historically, the supply is also still considerably smaller than a few years ago.