EU pork market - EU Commission summer report
After two consecutive years of rising pork production, the EU Commission has identified a decline of 2% for 2012 in its summer market report. The main reasons cited for the reduction in production are the high feed costs and the conversion of sow husbandry in accordance with the new EU husbandry regulation.
A decline of 2% in pig stocks is also expected for 2013 due to the tight supply situation. The reductions in the herd vary greatly from region to region. In Poland, the pig herd has fallen by -14.3% and in Spain and France by -1.4% each. The German pig herd is estimated to be 3.4% higher.
The slaughter figures in the first few months of 2013 vary considerably. In Denmark -7 %, in the Netherlands -5 %, in France -3.5 %, in France -2.3 % and in Poland -1.4 % were provisionally reported. In Germany alone, with a production share of 20% of EU production, slaughter figures rose by +1.3%.
In the first 4 months of 2013, exports fell 2% short of the previous year's figures. Despite a resurgence in Russian imports in April 2013 and rising demand from China and Japan, the EU Commission expects exports to fall by around 6% over the whole of 2013.
For 2014, the Commission estimates a slight increase in production and consumption of +0.6%. Exports are expected to increase by a small 0.5%. Falling feed costs are expected to serve as a possible driving force for the increase in production.
