January 22, 2013

EU expects to see growth in poultry market

Europe's poultry market is expected to witness growth over the next 10 years, according to the latest prospects report from the EU Commission.

In part, this will be driven by higher global and domestic demand, as consumers switch to cheaper meats in response to the ongoing economic slowdown, it suggests.

While pork will remain the most popular meat in the EU, with 40.8 kilogrammes per capita consumed each year, poultry consumption is expected to increase by 4.3% on average by 2022.

Overall, poultry imports recorded a 3% decrease between January and August 2012, compared to the same period in 2011, with Brazil in particular reining in shipments (-6%).

On the other hand, imports from Thailand increased by 4% as the country regained access to the EU market for up to 92,000 tonnes of frozen, salted poultry. According to trade sources, Thailand is still building up capacity to fulfill the quota, with a higher uptake expected in 2013.

Over the medium term, EU exports are expected to remain strong, increasing another 3.2% by 2022, due to growing world demand, especially in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

World consumption for poultry is projected to grow by 25% over the same period, though the EU is expected to mainly trade in lower quality products, namely those which do not find an outlet on the domestic market.