October 7, 2010

EU pork exports soar 10.5% in Jan-July

Pork exports from the EU have recorded a strong performance for the first seven months of the year with volumes up by 10.5% to 1.461 million tonnes, the latest Export Bulletin shows.

Although exports to the Ukraine are down to 67,000 tonnes, exports to Russia have risen to 455,000 tonnes, Hong Kong to 233,000 tonnes, Japan to 132,000 tonnes and China to 101,000 tonnes. Sales more than doubled to the Philippines at 53,000 tonnes and were stable to Korea at 56,000 tonnes.

Meanwhile, the European farmers union Copa-Cogeca has called on the EU to take action to help pig producers face up to the sharp rise in production costs and costly regulations.

Speaking in Brussels, Copa-Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen is reported to have warned that EU pig producers were facing huge production costs, as a result of the EU's high food safety and environmental standards which producers in non-EU countries do not have to comply with.

"Lately, feed costs have also risen sharply, partly due to the speculation in the international cereals market. EU pig producers are consequently facing major difficulties, especially as they have not had time to recover from the three-year crisis in the EU pork sector," he said.