July 24, 2009
Dutch pork exports shrink 14 percent on-year
Pork exports from the Netherlands have declined by 14 percent on-year, the Dutch agricultural newspaper Agrarisch Dagblad reports.
Figures from the Dutch Product Board for Livestock and Meat (PVV) showed that until July 17, the Netherlands had shipped 416,138 tonnes of pork - in that same period one year earlier, 485,138 tonnes were shipped.
Exports to the UK, Italy and Germany have also shrunk. Exports to Britain decreased by 13 percent to 93,406 tonnes while shipments to Italy shrunk by 20 percent to 65,348 tonnes. Exports to Germany went down by 8 percent to 63,721 tonnes and the rest of shipments tumbled 21 percent to 113,844 tonnes.
The British product board for meat claims exports have been lower due to a lack of demand. Average export prices, however, showed a 4 percent year-on-year increase.
The strongest decrease, however, could be seen in the exports to Spain - dropping by 62 percent to 3,365 tonnes. Spain is a relatively minor destination for Dutch pork. France shows a different tendency with a 14 percent growth of 21,870 tonnes.
On the other hand, Dutch exports of piglets and finishers have also shown a year-on-year increase. Most piglets are shipped to Germany, just as the finishers - over 80 percent.
The number of pigs slaughtered in the Netherlands was 7.5 percent lower than one year before.
