Meat production in 2023 and 2024 could decrease in the EU except for chicken

Europeans will continue to eat less meat. Overall, per capita meat consumption in the EU is expected to decrease by 1.5% in 2023 due to price inflation and lower supply on the market. The decrease is most pronounced in the consumption of beef (-3.5%) and pork (-5.2%), while the consumption of poultry meat will grow by 4.3%, according to the short-term estimates just published by the European Commission. Bovine EU beef production recorded a decline of -4.5% in the first half of 2023, mainly due to a significant decrease in slaughter in Italy (-23%). Overall, an annual production reduction of -3.1% is expected in 2023. If feed prices continue to fall and make the fattening process more profitable, a smaller reduction of -1% could be expected in 2024, plus close to the structural downward trend observed in previous years. As beef supply in the EU is lower, domestic prices may be relatively high, which will have a negative impact on the competitiveness of EU exports. Porcine In the ...