EUROPE – The European Union’s (EU) poultry sector is experiencing a promising year in 2024, with both production and exports showing notable growth compared to the previous year.
According to a recent autumn report from the European Commission’s (EC) Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, poultry meat production within the EU is expected to rise by 4% in 2024, while exports are projected to increase by 3%.
This upward trend is anticipated to carry through into 2025, showing signs of recovery within the industry following previous economic challenges.
The EC’s update is a proof of stabilization across agricultural markets, with the poultry industry in particular showing strong signs of recovery.
In 2024, per capita poultry meat consumption in the EU is forecast to increase by nearly 1 kilogram, or 3.5%, bringing the total consumption to 24.6 kg per person.
This growth is being linked to ample supply and favorable consumer sentiment towards poultry products.
While the rate of growth is expected to slow slightly in 2025, consumption is predicted to reach around 25.2 kg per person.
During the first half of 2024, EU poultry meat exports grew by 11%, reaching approximately 900,000 metric tons.
Countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom played a key role in this export surge.
However, exports to Ukraine saw a decline during this period.
For the remainder of 2024, the EC anticipates a further 3% growth in poultry exports.
At the same time, imports of poultry meat into the EU fell by 4.5% during the first half of the year, totaling around 420,000 metric tons.
The EC report also reveals that overall EU poultry meat production increased by 4% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
France and Hungary were among the top contributors to this growth, with production increasing by 116,000 metric tons and 34,000 metric tons, representing year-on-year increases of nearly 16% and 14%, respectively.
Additionally, production in France and Italy was more than 20% higher than in the first half of 2022.
Despite these gains, some EU member states saw declines in poultry production. Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Sweden experienced reductions, with the Netherlands reporting a nearly 5% drop compared to 2022.
Throughout the first six months of 2024, the average price for poultry remained steady at over EUR 2,500 (about US$2,740) per metric ton.
Meanwhile, British poultry farmers have regained access to the South Korean market after a ban, imposed in 2020 due to avian influenza concerns, was lifted.
Earlier this year, the UK was declared free of the disease, enabling trade discussions that reopened access to the South Korean market.
South Korea, which primarily sources poultry from Brazil, Thailand, the United States, Hong Kong, and Denmark, saw poultry imports reach US$478 million in 2022.
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