Growth in EU production was driven primarily by the leading pig-producing countries. Output increased by 5% in Spain, 7% in Poland and 9% in Denmark. France raised production by 1%, while volumes in Belgium and Germany remained relatively stable.
The largest decline among the major producers was recorded in the Netherlands, where pork production fell by 8%, or 30,600 tonnes, compared with the first quarter of 2025.
The increase in production was supported by both a higher number of animals slaughtered and an increase in average carcase weight. Commercial pig slaughter in the EU rose by 2% to 59 million head, while the average slaughter weight increased by 0.3%, or 0.26 kg, to 98.43 kg.
Exports Remain Stable, but China Reduces Purchases
In the first quarter of 2026, EU pork exports, including fresh, frozen and processed products as well as offal, remained relatively stable at 1.04 million tonnes.
Spain and Germany increased shipments by 2% to 701,800 tonnes and 504,900 tonnes respectively. Danish exports rose by 10%, supported by intra-EU trade and shipments to Asian countries other than China. This allowed Denmark to overtake the Netherlands and become the EU’s third-largest exporter.
Exports from the Netherlands declined by 6% to 365,600 tonnes, mainly due to lower shipments within the EU market and to China.
China remained the largest non-EU destination for European pork, although shipment volumes fell by 20%. The decline was attributed to anti-dumping measures, weak market conditions in China and policies aimed at protecting domestic producers.
Shipments to the United Kingdom, the second-largest market by volume, fell by 4%, or 11,100 tonnes. The significant gap between British and EU prices did not result in higher imports, which may indicate resilient demand for domestically produced pork.
At the same time, the EU substantially increased exports to other Asian markets. Shipments to South Korea rose by 50% to 139,000 tonnes, while exports to Vietnam increased by 76% to 64,200 tonnes.
In addition, the Philippines lifted its blanket ban on imports of Spanish pork and offal, retaining restrictions only on products originating from ASF-affected areas of Catalonia. This could provide an additional outlet for the oversupplied European market.
Danish Reforms Could Limit Production
In the longer term, pork supply may be affected by planned agricultural reforms in Denmark. These include the introduction of a carbon tax on livestock production by 2030, an expansion of protected natural areas and measures to strengthen domestic self-sufficiency.
Potential animal welfare changes include raising the minimum weaning age for piglets from three to four weeks, gradually phasing out tail docking and restricting the use of confinement systems.
These requirements could increase production costs and reduce Danish pork output and exports. This would have implications for major trading partners, including Germany, Poland and China.
African swine fever remains an additional risk. Although the outbreak in Spain has been largely confined to wild boar, recent cases in domestic pigs in Hungary and at a large commercial farm in Poland confirm that the animal health threat persists.
AHDB does not expect any significant improvement in the short term.
PigUA.info, based on materials from AHDB