Strong outlook predicted for poultry industry
The industry is benefiting from ongoing bullish market fundamentals, according to the report, with supply balanced in most regions and feed costs low. With China as the major exception, the industry is profitable in almost all major global regions.
AI remains a major concern for the global industry, with new outbreaks in most regions in the world, except Australia and South America. However, the number of outbreaks has been lower in recent months, and this offers the industry in these regions some time to recover.
“The performance in most regions is currently improving, but the industry should have optimal biosecurity as its first priority, as AI pressure is still significant,” said Nan-Dirk Mulder, animal protein analyst at Rabobank. “Any new case can have a big impact on regional and global trade streams, as we have seen in the past months, in which Brazil and Thailand have taken further market share in global poultry trade from the US and China.”
Rabobank believes the outlook for late 2015 and 2016 is bullish, as feed prices are still expected to remain at low pricing levels, and global breeding stock supply will be very low in regions with AI-related import restrictions, such as China and South-East Asia. The expectation that China will face a shortage in poultry and pork supply next year could especially become a major swing factor for the global poultry industry. The expected further spread of AI to key US chicken production areas is a major wild card for the industry outlook in the second half of this year, Mulder added.
The regional outlook for the poultry industry is as follows.
EU: Strong market conditions with healthy market balance and restrictive supply growth.
US: Strong margins despite avian influenza trade bans.
Brazil: Weak local economy leads to trading-down effect, lifting poultry consumption.
China: Some improvement in poultry markets due to increasing pork prices.
Russia: Improved performance due to lower feed costs and price support from high beef and pork supply.
