Exports drive Poland’s expanded poultry meat production

This rise was accompanied by an increase in Polish poultry meat exports of 15.7% from January to July 2016.

The growth suggests Poland is on track to raise its poultry meat production​ for the fifth year in a row. Between 2012 and 2015, the country’s poultry meat industry players managed to expand their output from about 1.627m tonnes to some 2.124m tonnes, a robust increase of 30.5%, the institute’s market analysis said.

Foreign sales drive increased output​

In the first seven months of this year, local poultry meat industry players exported a total of 542,230t of poultry. Foreign sales represented close to 34% of the country’s poultry meat output, as shown by figures released by the institute.

“Foreign sales remain the main force behind the development of the entire poultry meat industry and its sales,​” the IERiGZ said in its market analysis. “The dynamic development of Poland’s poultry meat exports is supported by the implemented promotional programmes that are co-financed by the EU funds.​”

A forecast released by the institute earlier this year indicated that Poland’s poultry meat production could increase to about 2.6m tonnes this year, and export sales could raise their share of the total to as much as 42%.

Some of the leading foreign markets for Polish poultry meat exporters include the UK, France, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Poultry meat consumption on the rise​

While exports continue to increase their share of the industry’s sales, Poland’s poultry meat consumption remains at a stable level, providing reasons for optimism this year. In the first quarter of 2016, an average Pole consumed about 1.55 kg of poultry meat per month, an increase of 0.6% compared with the same period a year earlier.

What is noteworthy is that the largest poultry meat consumption is typically reported in Poland in the fourth quarter of each year. In the October-December 2015 period, it totalled 1.61 kg per capita, and in the fourth quarter of 2014, it stood at 1.63 kg per capita, according to figures from the IERiGZ.

Imports cover a small part of the country’s demand for poultry meat, but they were also on the rise in the first seven months of 2016. In total, Poland imported some 21,782 tonnes of poultry meat from January to July 2016 which represented an increase of 6.2% compared with the same period a year earlier.

The IERiGZ was set up in 1950. It is headquartered in Poland’s capital Warsaw and is overseen by the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Its research activities are focused on agricultural production, food economy and other economic areas in the country’s rural areas.