EU pork market update

Pork production in the EU recorded marginal gains in the first three months of the year compared to 2023. Total production from January to March 2024 stood at 5.42 million tonnes, a minimum increase of 0.3% ( 18,200 tons) compared to the same period in 2023. Most of the gains in production came from Poland, which registered growth of 31,000 tons, to 485,000 tons, and from Germany, of 10,400 tons, to 1.07 million tons. This was offset by large drops in the main producing countries, such as Spain and Denmark, which recorded drops of 7000 and 21500 tonnes, to 1.32 million and 344000 tonnes, respectively. Shortfalls in EU production have limited export opportunities as total pork exports (including offal) have fallen by 6% since 2023 year-to-date (January-April) to just over 1.3 million tons. Most of this decline resulted from falling exports to China, which fell by 83,000 tonnes in the first four months of 2024 to 363,000 tonnes. Other important drops in volume came from Japan, being ...