In 2015, the 28 member countries of the EU shared 6.8% in the global population but contributed 15.7 % to global meat production and 12.0% to global poultry meat production. This comparison documents not only the intensity of meat production in the EU but also the high per capita consumption.
In this paper, the dynamics in EU poultry meat production and trade between 2010 and 2015 will be analysed; in addition, a projection of poultry meat production, consumption and trade until 2025 will be presented.
Meat surplus in the EU
Considerable increase in poultry meat production
Broiler meat shared 79.0% in total poultry meat production of the EU in 2015, turkey meat 13.8% and duck meat 3.5%.
A comparison of the ranking of the ten leading countries in 2010 and 2015 shows that France was replaced by Poland as the number one poultry meat producing country (Table
Remarkable dynamics in EU poultry meat trade
Considerable increase in trade with non-EU countries
With a volume of 872,000 t, poultry meat imports were much lower than exports. Brazil (499,000 t) and Thailand (275,000 t) were the two leading countries origin for the Imports. They contributed 88.7 % to EU imports in 2015. Because of the fast growth of the poultry meat exports in the analysed time period, the export surplus in poultry meat trade with non-EU countries increased from 444,000 t in 2010 to 619,000 t in 2015 or by 39,4%. This documents as well the oversupply in the EU as the growing demand for poultry meat in several less developed and threshold countries.
Further increase of production and consumption predicted
In contrast to the development in the EU, global poultry meat production and consumption will grow by 16.2% resp. 16.6%. Production will reach a volume of 131.3 mill. t and poultry meat will then have surpassed pig meat production for which a production volume of 131.0 mill. t is projected. The extraordinary growth of poultry meat production is mainly due to the fast increase of production and consumption in several less developed and threshold countries (see Windhorst 2016a, b).
Summary
The main results of this analysis can be summarized as follows:
– In 2015, poultry meat production in the EU surpassed consumption by 569,000 t.
– Poultry meat production grew by 10.4 % between 2010 and 2015 and reached a volume of 14.3 mill. t.
– Broiler meat production increased in particular. In 2015, it contributed 79.0% to the overall poultry meat production in the EU.
– Poland and France were the leading poultry meat producing countries. In 2015, they contributed 29.9% to the EU production volume.
– Intra-EU trade with poultry meat and trade with non-EU countries grew considerably in the anlaysed time period.
– The main non-EU countries of destination in 2015 were African and Asian countries; poultry meat is mainly imported from Brazil and Thailand.
– Between 2015 and 2025 a growth rate in EU poultry meat production of 5.3% is predicted. It will, however, be much lower than the global growth rate of 16.2%.
References are available on request.