EU poultry meat production is expected to continue expanding in 2016 and 2017, according to the latest short-term outlook published by the European Commission.
Having increased by 3.8% last year, reaching a total of 13.8 million tonnes, EU poultry meat output is still expected to keep increasing, even though consumption levels are forecast to be heading for a slowdown in growth over the next 18 months.
“Despite lower broiler prices in 2016, poultry production expanded during the first quarter of 2016, even more than in the same period in 2015,” it is stated in the new outlook.
“Poland (+16%), Spain (+5%), Italy (+6%), the Netherlands (+5%) and the UK (+3%) all saw their production increasing (in 2015) with only France stagnating. This could be reversed in the second half of this year, however, as bird restocking started in mid-May in the aftermath of the outbreak of avian influenza (in France).
“At EU level, therefore, growth is expected to continue in 2016 and 2017, although at a slower pace compared to 2015.”
The outlook view on consumption, meanwhile, is that the EU is reaching a “more mature level” with increased competition on the world market limiting the further development of exports and putting pressure on prices.
“EU per capita consumption increased in 2015 to 22.9 kg,” it is stated, “and is expected to increase even further in 2016 and 2017, but at a slower pace. In fact, for the first time in several years, poultry consumption will not increase the most (across all meats) with beef consumption forecast to grow faster.”
