Production’s Down
Up to July 2023, the EU’s pork sector’s not doing great. Production’s down 8% compared to last year at the same time. This is the second year it’s dropped, and it’s 10% less than the average of the last five years. The European Commission says it might drop another 6.6% by year-end.
Germany and Denmark are having the hardest time. Germany’s down 9%, or 236,000 tonnes, and Denmark’s down 21%, or 202,000 tonnes. Spain and the Netherlands are also down but not as much. They’re down 143,000–144,000 tonnes, or 5% and 15%. This is mostly because there are fewer pigs.
Prices Are All Over the Place
Even with less pork, prices went up for a bit. But they’ve dropped to an average of 196.4p per kilogram as of 1 October.
That’s way down from the high prices in late July. France’s prices have dropped the most, down 27p per kilogram. Other countries like Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Poland have also seen drops of around 20–22p. The price gap between the EU and the UK is now 24p.
Trade’s Down Too
We’re making less pork, but we’re also importing less. Imports are down 16% this year. This could be because it’s getting too pricey. The European Commission thinks people will eat 5% less pork next year. The UK is sending 27% less pork to the EU, but we’re buying more from Switzerland and Chile.
We’re also exporting less. Exports are down 18% this year. Most of this is because Asian countries are buying less.
