UK still highly dependent on EU for its pork

Published 2025년 2월 20일

Tridge summary

The UK has seen an increase in its domestic pork production but remains heavily reliant on the EU for pork imports, with figures for the first 11 months of 2024 showing a rise in fresh and frozen pork imports, as well as sausages and bacon consumption. Despite efforts by the British pig industry to increase market share, the retail sector continues to import a significant amount of bacon from the EU, primarily from the Netherlands and Denmark. However, supermarkets like Morrisons, Sainsbury, Marks & Spencer, and Aldi are selling 100% British pork. The margin for British pig producers has nearly halved due to increased feed costs and lower pig prices, but the sector remains profitable.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The United Kingdom might slowly increase its domestic pork production but still remains highly dependent on the EU for its pork. In the first 11 months of 2024, the Brits imported no less than 249,000 tonnes of fresh pork from its European neighbours, 12,000 tonnes more than in the same period the year before. The import of frozen pork came to 61,500 tonnes, an increase of 7,000 tonnes. The Brits also consumed 142,900 tonnes of European sausages, which was 7,000 tonnes higher y-o-y, as well as 162,500 tonnes of bacon, a small decrease of 3,400 tonnes compared to a year earlier. In value, the total imports of pork, bacon, sausages and other pork products in the first 11 months of last year was £2,7 billion (€3,25 billion), just £30,000 (€36,000) less than a year earlier. So where does all that pork go to ? A lot is destined for the processing industry or the hospitality sector, like roadside restaurants or the famous ‘creasy spoons’ that serve a proper English breakfast or bacon ...

Source: UkrAgroConsult