According to preliminary estimates by the Federal Information Centre for Agriculture (BZL), the main driver of growth was record poultry consumption, which rose to nearly 15 kg per capita (+1 kg year-on-year), representing about 27% of total meat consumption.
At the same time, pork remains the clear leader, with average consumption at 28.3 kg per capita. Beef and veal consumption also increased slightly to 2.7 kg per capita, despite higher consumer prices.
Despite rising demand, meat production in the country declined slightly by 0.3% to 7.3 million tonnes. This was mainly due to a reduction in cattle slaughter, which led to a 6% drop in beef production. Poultry production remained almost stable at around 1.5 million tonnes, while pork production increased by 1.1% due to stabilized herd sizes and higher average carcass weights.
To meet growing demand, meat imports, including offal, increased by nearly 11% to approximately 3.6 million tonnes. The most significant growth was observed in beef, as well as poultry and sheep meat imports. Exports also increased, though more moderately, by just over 1%.
Total meat use in the country (including processing, losses, and pet food) rose by 4.5% to 6.37 million tonnes.
Amid a slight decline in domestic production, the self-sufficiency rate dropped by 4.5 percentage points to 114.6%. In the beef segment, this indicator fell below 100% for the first time, while in poultry it stood at 91.3%. Pork remains the most self-sufficient sector at around 139%, although for high-value cuts it is estimated at about 80%.
PigUA.info based on materials from pig333.com