Broiler production in the EU will grow less than 1% in 2010 to 8.7 million tonnes, according to USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service.

Broiler imports are projected to increase to 720,000 tonnes this year from 710,000 tonnes in 2009, said the report, adding that EU imports from China will jump 163% to 10,000 tonnes this year compared with 3,800 tonnes a year ago.

The EU's top poultry-consuming countries are expected to be the UK (1.5 million tonnes), Spain (1.1 million tonnes), France (895,000 tonnes), Germany (835,000 tonnes) and Italy (694,000 tonnes).

Total poultry exports from the EU are expected to fall slightly from 777,000 tonnes in 2009 to 770,000 tonnes this year, but that is still higher than the 737,000 tonnes exported in 2008. The higher volumes in 2009 and 2010 can be attributed to the weakening of the euro.